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NARRATIVE OF A VISIT 


TO 


THE COURTS 


OF 

VIENNA, CONSTANTINOPLE, 

ATHENS, NAPLES, Ac. 


RY 


© ’ 
> > > 


THE MARCHIONESS OF LONDONDERRY, ' 


A/w\ \JL. 


V v\ 

: KfcW YORK, K. Y, 

._tiBHABY 


LONDON: 

HENRY COLBURN, PUBLISHER, 

GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET. 


1844. 


* 













1 3 9.(5 N 

r I 
« % • 

JUL 8 1953 


FREDERICK SHOBEItL, JUNIOR, 
PRINTER TO HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCE ALBERT, 
51 , RUPERT STREET, HAYMARKET, LONDON. 








CONTENTS. 


NARRATIVE OF A VISIT TO THE COURTS 

OF VIENNA, &c. 

, CHAPTER I. 

Start for Rotterdam—Discomforts of a steamer—Rotterdam— 
Antwerp—Fete of Rubens—Cathedral—Museum—Paintings of 
Rubens—Railway to Mechlin and Brussels—A week at Brussels 
—Railway to Liege—Travelling Companions—Aix-la-Chapelle— 
Cologne—Steaming up the Rhine — Bonn — Drachenfels—Co- 
blentz — Ehrenbreitstein — Mayence—Wiesbaden—Excursion to 
Biberach—Frankfort — German posting and postboys — Wurz¬ 
burg—The Old Palace — The German Versailles—Cathedral— 
Nuremburg — Grand Reviews by the King of Bavaria—Royal 
forgetfulness—Prince Ernest of Saxe-Coburg—Fiirth—Canal to 
connect the Danube and the Rhine—Ratisbon—The Walhalla— 
Palace of the Prince of Tour and Taxis — Statue by Dannecker 
— Steaming on the Danube — Lintz — A Tyrolese family—The 
Belgian Minister — Arrival at Vienna — Count Michel Wo- 
ronzoff ...... 1 


CHAPTER II. 

Dinner with the English ambassador—Changes—Prince Met- 
tcrnich—Old recollections—Dinner at the Russian ambassador’s— 
Prince Mettcrnich’s gardens—Children of Prince Metternich—His 
conversation—Old times—Recollections of the Congress of Vi¬ 
enna—Prince Esterhazy—Dinner at Prince Mettcrnich’s—Prince 



IV 


CONTENTS. 


Jablonowsky—Cerito—Anecdotes of old Vestris—Princess Met- 
ternich—Interesting collection of portraits—The Prater—Visit to 
Prince Esterhazy at Pottendorf—Princess Lichtenstein—Prince 
Nicholas—Singular old fortress and its treasures—Visit to Ester- 
hiiz—Vast estate — A wild boy—Visit to Siegendorf—Count 
Szcheny—Countess Zichy — Eisenstadt — Immense orangery— 
Statue by Canova — An evening party at Prince Metternich’s — 
Thalberg’s playing—Lizst . . . . 31 

CHAPTER III. 

Departure from Vienna —Embark on the*Danube — The cap¬ 
tain—A character — Travelling companions — Emir Pacha — A 
German Baron—A Turkish doctor—A French milliner — Banks 
of the Danube—Presburg—Pestli—Buda — Suspension-bridge— 
Hungarian peasantry—Mohacs—Semlin — Belgrade — Drencova 
—Scenery of the Danube—Singular grotto—The Zingari—Fine 
road to Orsova—Wallachian village— Custom-House annoyances 
-— Troubles of steaming — Carpathian mountains — Rutschuk— 
Aground—Giurgivo—Crossing the Balkan—Silistria—Braila— 
Galatz—Wallachian hospitality—A Wallachian ball — Zingari— 
Ferdinand steamer—Arrival at Constantinople . 55 

CHAPTER IV. 

First impressions of Constantinople—Golden Horn—Seraglio 
Point — Galata—Inconveniences of Constantinople—Pera—To- 
phana — Bazaar—Various costumes—Arabas—The Hyde Park 
of Constantinople—Female costumes—Visit to the interior of a 
harem—Reschid Pacha—His wives and family—Madame Fran- 
chini — Turkish women—Singular scene — Female buffoon— 
Harem of the Seraskier—A beautiful Odalisque—Tomb of Sultan 
Mahmoud — Hippodrome—A Turkish dinner—Circassian slaves 
—The favourite slave — Children—Turkish cookery — A Greek 
lady—After dinner ceremonies—Turkish singing—Greek slaves 


CONTENTS. 


V 


—Tarapia—Sea of Marmora—The Sweet Waters—Buyukdere 
—The Sultan’s Valley — Extraordinary tree—Arms’ bazaar— 
Scutari ...... 95 


CHAPTER V. 

Visit to the mosques of Constantinople—St. Sophia—Porphyry 
columns — Turks at their devotions—Splendid coup-d’ceil — 
Seraglio—Mint—Immense plane tree—Sultan’s apartments— 
Arsenal—Keys of all the pachaliks—Mosque of Sultan Ahmed— 
Singular story—Mustaplia Pacha—Mosque of Suleiman—Mosque 
of Bajazet—Fifty thousand pigeons—Cost of visiting the mosques 
—Armenian burial-ground—Turkish cemetery—Greek funerals 
—Armenian marriages—Fires in Constantinople — Plague — 
Dancing Dervishes — Singular superstition — Slave market — 
Slave dealers—Georgian and Circassian slaves—The Thousand 
and One columns—Close of the Ramazan . . 129 

CHAPTER VI. 

Close of the Ramazan—The Bairam—Rejoicings—Grand Pro¬ 
cession—Turkish bath—Turkish stud—An offended dignitary— 
Close of the Bairam—Audience of the sultan—Tscheragan Palace 
—Admiral Walker’s lady—Preliminary ceremonies — Novelty of 
an audience granted by the sultan to a Frank lady—Apartments 
of the palace — A surprise — Description of Abdul Mehjid — His 
dress — Doing homage—Reschid Pacha — A hurricane—Annoy¬ 
ances of Constantinople—Dogs—Departure for Smyrna—Mitylene 
—Syra—Quarantine—Milo—Voyage to Corfu—Lazzaretto—Sir 
Howard and Lady Douglas—Sir George Berkeley—A character 
-—Anecdote of King Otho—Patras—The Little Dardanelles 147 

CHAPTER VII. 

Our captain—Arrival at Leutrachi — Callimachi — Proceed to 
Athens in a Russian cutter —Royal Hotel, Athens—Acropolis—- 


VI 


CONTENTS. 


Parthenon—Anecdote of an English captain—The Erechtheum— 
Temple of Theseus—Temple of Jupiter—New palace building for 
King Otho—Divine service at Sir Edmund Lyons’s—Public pro¬ 
menade— Presentation to the Queen — Dresses of the Albanians 
and Greeks — The banker’s — Lantern of Lysicrates — General 
Church’s collection of portraits — A review—To Callimachi in 
King Otho’s steamer—Voyage to Zante — Effects of the late 
earthquake—Arrival of our children from Corfu — Voyage to 
Malta — Quarantine — Settle at the house of the governor, Sir 
Henry Bouverie — General appearance of the island—Cathedral 
of St. John—Voyage to Palermo —Turtle — Palermo and its en¬ 
virons—La Favorita —The Palazzo Reale — Shrine of St. Rosalia 
—Montreale—Voyage to Capri—Arrival at Naples—Theatre of 
St. Carlos — Carnival ball —Presentation to the King and Queen 
—Ball at Baron Rothschild’s—Court ball—Palace— Masked balls 
at the St. Carlos Theatre—Fete given by the Duke de Montebello— 
Acton Palace—Ball at the academy— Shrove Tuesday amusements 
—Lady Blessington’s villa, the Belvidere Palace—Comparison be¬ 
tween the Bay of Naples and the Bosphorus—Museum—Severin 
Chapel — Jews’ quarter —Pompeii — News of the fire at Wyn- 
yard ...... 175 


CHAPTER VIII. 

Departure from Naples—Mola di Gaeta—Albano—Arrival at 
Rome—St. Peter’s— Studios of Rome—The English sculptors, 
Macdonald and Gibson; Thorwaldsen, Guaccarini, Terraciani — 
Extraordinary model of Passtum— The Capitol — Anecdote 
— Borghese Gallery — Doria Palace — St. Peter’s on Palm 
Sunday — Torlonia Palace — St. John of Lateran — Borghese 

Chapel—The death of Youth—Villa Borghese—The Pantheon_ 

Departure from Rome—Impositions of Postmasters — Road to 
Florence — Schneider’s Hotel — Bartolini — Pitti Palace —Leg¬ 
horn—Steam to Marseilles—Home . . 209 


CONTENTS. 


Vll 


NARRATIVE OF A TOUR IN PORTUGAL, 

SPAIN, &c. 

CHAPTER I. 

Departure — Falmouth — The Braganza steamer — Cape Finis- 
terre —Vigo — Lisbon — Filth and poverty of the people — High 
mass—The Queen of Portugal — Dogs in the church—Visit to the 
Duke of Terceira—Cintra—The Cork Convent—Penha Verde— 
The Queen’s palace—The Marialva palace — Montserrat and Mr. 
Beckford — Mafra — Its vast extent—Return to Lisbon — De¬ 
parture for Cadiz ..... 227 


CHAPTER II. 

Arrival at Cadiz—The harbour — Captain Lyon’s yacht—City 
of Cadiz — English consul — Alameda—Cathedral — Passage to 
Seville — English boarding-house at Seville—High mass at the 
cathedral — Illuminations—A bull-fight—Visit to the Alcazar 
—Immense snuff manufactory—Murillos—Spanish convent — 
Abbess and nuns—Mr. Standish — Flowers — Return to Cadiz 
—Visit to Xeres—Mr. Gordon’s cellars . . 253 

CHAPTER III. 

Voyage to Tangiers—Lord and Lady Wilton—Mr. Drum¬ 
mond Hay—Fair in Barbary—A funeral —Qualification for 
Saints—Innumerable cats—Singular scene—Arab arms—De¬ 
licious climate — Splendid flowers and fruits—Hospitality — 
Flight of locusts — A lion — Moorish ornaments—Moorish mu¬ 
sicians—Dr. Forbes—Visit to the Basha—A beautiful Jewess 
—Moorish castle—The Basha’s wives—Voyage to Gibraltar— 


Vlll 


CONTENTS. 


Prince Henry of Orange—A grand dinner—The wonders of the 
rock—Algesiras—St. Michael’s Cave . . • 277 

CHAPTER IV. 

Ceuta Bay—The Spanish Gibraltar—Spanish convicts—Tetuan 
Bay—Shoal of porpoises—An old Moor—Ride to Tetuan—A 
thief—Visit to the Basha — Moorish mode of making tea—The 
Basha’s wife—A young Moorish bride—Moorish stud—A Jewish 
family—The Vice Consul’s family—Return to Gibraltar—Voyage 
to Malaga—Journey to Granada — Spanish etiquette — Spanish 
Posada—Bandits—Arrival at Granada . . 295 

CHAPTER V. 

Visit to the Alhambra — Palace of Charles V.—Washington 
Irving—All expectations surpassed—Mateo Ximenes, the guide— 
Court of the Alberca—Court of the lions — Hall of the Abencer- 
rages—Lord Porchester — Hall of ambassadors—The Tocador— 
Unrivalled view—Habitations of the Zingari — The cathedral of 
Granada—The Alameda — The governor, General Mier — Car¬ 
thusian convent — The GeneralifFe — The Daro and the Xenil — 
Motril—El Colmenor—Spanish Alcalde . .311 

CHAPTER VI. 

Motril and its climate — Embark on board the Antelope 
yacht—Voyage to Carthagena—Scene of desolation—Embark for 
Barcelona—Voyage—Morera Bay—A foraging party—Cape St. 
Martin—A night at sea—Barcelona—English Consul—Montjuic 
—Grand Ball—Spanish ladies—Wealth of the peasantry—Voy¬ 
age to Marseilles—Curious chapel—Toulon—Prince de Joinville 
—ITyeres—Return to England 


329 


CHAPTER I. 


Start for Rotterdam—Discomforts of a steamer—Rotterdam— 
Antwerp—Fete of Rubens—Cathedral—Museum—Paintings of 
Rubens—Railway to Mechlin and Brussels —A week at Brussels 
—Railway to Liege—Travelling Companions—Aix-la-Chapelle— 
Cologne—Steaming up the Rhine — Bonn—Drachenfels—Co- 
blentz — Ehrenbreitstein — Mayence—Wiesbaden—Excursion to 
Biberach—Frankfort — German posting and postboys — Wurz¬ 
burg—The Old Palace — The German Versailles—Cathedral— 
Nuremburg — Grand Reviews by the King of Bavaria—Royal 
forgetfulness—Prince Ernest of Saxe-Coburg—Furth—Canal to 
connect the Danube and the Rhine—Ratisbon—The Walhalla— 
Palace of the Prince of Tour and Taxis — Statue by Dannecker 
— Steaming on the Danube — Lintz — A Tyrolese family—The 
Belgian Minister—Arrival at Vienna — Count Michel Woronzoff. 


B 




NARRATIVE OF A VISIT 


TO THE 

COURTS OF VIENNA, &c. 


CHAPTER I. 

Saturday , Aug . 22, 1840. —Among the various 
vexations of life, (I mean not its real ills, but the 
many trifles that annoy and irritate) few things are 
more disagreeable than the bedside apparition of 
one’s maid, with a candle in her hand, at four 
o’clock in the morning. It was, however, my fate 
to suffer from such a visitation on the above- 
mentioned day, when, after quickly completing 
our preparations, we hurried to the Tower Stairs, 
and embarked on board the Giraffe steamer, which 
was to start for Rotterdam precisely at seven. 

b 2 




4 


START FOR ROTTERDAM. 


Leaving England, however agreeable our pro¬ 
spects, or bright our anticipations may be, always 
gives rise to anxious and mournful thoughts ; the 
mind tries to pierce the long, dark vista before it, 
and to divine what the coming months may have 
in store, of good or ill; and the uncertainty in 
which it remains after all its efforts, leaves a shade 
of fear and gloom. 

I was roused from these reflections by an old 
foreigner coming on board, quarrelling with a 
waterman, who had tried to cheat him of a shilling. 
Lie was a respectable-looking man, and began a 
piteous complaint of the impositions of English 
people in their dealings with strangers. I could 
not help thinking, while commiserating this vic¬ 
tim of cab-drivers and watermen, that foreigners 
have their revenge when English people wander 
abroad. 

There were two cabins and a saloon on deck, 
and to one of the former I soon retreated, and suc¬ 
ceeded in making myself tolerably comfortable. 
The advantage of not going below is so great, that 
I am surprised this plan is not more general. The 


ROTTERDAM. 


enjoyment of light and fresh air greatly alleviates, 
if it does not altogether prevent suffering. 

The weather was lovely, and for the first seven 
hours we glided on without apparent motion. The 
night was hot, with frequent flashes of lightning; 
the sea became rough, and most of the passengers 
were ill. At two o’clock in the morning we 
stopped, as I was informed, for want of water — a 
singular deficiency in the middle of the sea ! At 
seven o’clock, however, we proceeded, and, having 
taken in a Dutch pilot, and been boarded by a 
custom-house officer, we reached Rotterdam at 
twelve, and were received by the consul, Sir Alex¬ 
ander Ferrier, who conducted us to the Hotel des 
Pays Bas. 

Being Sunday, all the people were dressed in 
their gayest attire, and the promenade was full, 
and looked very gay; but, after spending thirty 
hours in a steamer, we were more inclined to rest 
than to explore. Since I had been at Rotterdam, 
four years before, the navigation of the Rhine had 
greatly progressed ; the boats are now numerous, 
and, as we were told, are admirably managed, 


6 


ANTWERP. 


and, from the great competition, the fares are 
very low. 

Captain Chaplin (at whose military academy, 
near Namur, our son was placed) arrived, and de¬ 
cided us to go by Brussels to see him. Accord¬ 
ingly, we hired the pavilion of a small steamer that 
was to start for Antwerp that night, and perform 
her passage in twelve hours. I cannot say much 
for the cleanliness of this temporary habitation, 
but, on one point, at least, it would be unjust to 
deny its due; for I never, during my whole ex¬ 
istence, heard such a noise ; Bedlam seemed broke 
loose all night; and I was truly glad when we 
arrived, soon after one o’clock, at Antwerp ; and, 
leaving the luggage to be examined at the custom¬ 
house, and conveyed to the railway, where we 
were to find it at four o’clock, we hastened to the 
cathedral. 

The town was in a great bustle, this being the 
last of the fifteen days devoted to the fete of 
Rubens. All the vessels had their colours flying, 
the people wore their gayest dresses, and crowds 
were assembling to crown the statue of the great 


CATHEDRAL. 


7 


painter, of whom they are so justly proud. This 
ceremony only occurs once in a hundred years, 
and this is but the second time it has been cele¬ 
brated. Fine triumphal arches had been erected ; 
but I was told the finest sight of all was the illu¬ 
mination of the shipping with coloured lamps. 
This had cost the town ^ 5000 . 

The cathedral is a beautiful Gothic building, 
with a lofty tower and spire; the second tower 
was never finished. Rubens’s “ Descent from the 
Cross” is a magnificent picture, and very superior 
to its companion, “ the Ascent.” The Ascension 
is over the altar, and is also splendid, and as we 
stood, the rays of the sun fell on it, and displayed 
it to the greatest advantage. 

From hence we hurried to the Musee, where 
the Crucifixion, also by Rubens, claims the tra¬ 
veller’s admiration. There are many other pic¬ 
tures by the same master, and the collection is rich 
in Vandykes; but unfortunately we had not time 
to examine them, or to go to the church of St. 
Jaques, which contains some splendid paintings. 

We paid a passing visit to Mr. Baillie, the great 


8 


RAILWAY. 


shawl merchant, and bought some of the cele¬ 
brated black silk for which Antwerp is famed. 
We then drove to the railway, where we found a 
scene of unequalled confusion. In consequence of 
the fete, 10,000 people required accommodation. 
The directors put on more carriages, and preached 
patience. We had great difficulty in getting 
places, and only succeeded after a smart contest 
between Lord L. and some insolent priest. The 
trains on this railway are not fast, and make four 
long stoppages between Brussels and Antwerp, a 
distance of thirty miles. The longest is at Mech¬ 
lin, from whence all the railways branch. They 
♦ 

are managed by the government, and said to be by 
no means so lucrative as when they were in the 
hands of the commercial and contracting parties. 
I was told that now they hardly pay their ex- 
pences, whereas before the profits were immense. 

The old tower at Mechlin is very picturesque, 
though still unfinished. There are many fine pic¬ 
tures in the church, but we could not remain long 
enough to see them. 

To me there is a great charm in Brussels, owing 


BRUSSELS. 


9 


to its cleanliness, brightness, and gaiety, and the 
clear atmosphere and blue sky. The smart shops, 
wide streets, and regular buildings, always remind 
me of Paris, without its drawbacks of noise and 
confusion. When here four years ago we visited 
the Prince of Orange’s palace, and explored all the 
curiosities of the place, but our stay this time was 
productive of little incident. I went over the 
lace-shops, and could not resist making some pur¬ 
chases. The cookery of the hotel was so bad, that 
we had recourse to a restaurateur, where we how¬ 
ever fared no better. The little carriages or flys, 
called “ vigilantes,” are particularly convenient. 

After spending nearly a week at Brussels, we 
left it on Monday, the 31st, by the early train, 
which goes first to Mechlin, and thence by Tirle- 
mont to Ans, a little distance from Liege. Here 
we were obliged to scramble into omnibuses of the 
worst description, that threatened dislocation to 
the bones and distraction to the head, as we jum¬ 
bled on to the best inn (the Pavilion Anglais.) The 
railway travelling has the undoubted advantage of 
enabling one to move from place to place with 


10 


TRAVELLING COMPANIONS. 


great rapidity, but its inconveniences are innume¬ 
rable ; such as the noise, the smell, the jar, and, 
above all, the being brought into contact with all 
kinds and conditions of people. 

On this occasion there was a large assemblage of 
priests, and a lady of not very refined appearance, 
who confided to me a plaintive story of her being 
too late for one train, and missing another, while 
she was drinking a glass of eau sucree , and finally 
declared that she had found herself at Brussels, 
meaning to be at Liege, without her sac de unit, 
which she assured me contained 1500 francs. A 
picturesque-looking man, in a green costume, and 
Louis Quatorze boots, whose appearance was half 
Spanish brigand, half player, also accompanied us. 
On getting into the omnibus, the lady, with great 
glee, informed me, 

“ J’ai tout retrouve, jusqu’a mon ombrelle.” 

We dined at Liege, and posted on to Aix-la- 
Chapelle, where we arrived late, having passed the 
Prussian frontier. The Custom-LIouse officers were 
civil, and did not unpack or meddle with any thing 
we had except a ham, on which they enforced duty. 


COLOGNE. 


11 


The railroad is to be continued to Cologne, much 
to the convenience of travellers. We remained 
but one night at Aix, which was full of people. I 
tried one of the baths, but cannot say I liked the 
experiment. Napoleon’s famous bath no longer 
exists. 

On arriving at Cologne, after a hot dusty drive, 
we immediately visited the cathedral, which has 
never been finished. There are numerous strange 
legends respecting this pile, one of which is, that 
the devil furnished the plan ; but in consequence 
of the architect having failed in his part of the 
compact, his satanic majesty destroyed the design, 
and nobody else has been able to complete it. The 
King of Prussia sent lately to have an estimate 
of the expense of finishing it, and the valuation 
amounted to four millions of thalers — about a 
million sterling. It is a fine specimen of Gothic 
architecture, and contains many objects of inte¬ 
rest, among which is the shrine of the three kings 
of Cologne. The heart of Marie de Medicis is said 
to be buried within the walls of this church. The 
painted glass is beautiful. 


12 STEAMING UP THE RHINE. 

We were next day picked up by the steamer, 
which brought the rest of our family from Rotter¬ 
dam. These boats are long, narrow, and adapted 
to carry a great number of passengers. There 
were two hundred on this occasion; but, as we oc¬ 
cupied the pavilion, which is really a good-sized 
private room, we were well accommodated, en¬ 
joyed plenty of air and light, and were not mo¬ 
lested by strangers. The steamer was to have 
sailed at six, but of that we were not aware, and 
were, consequently, left behind. In fact, the vessel 
had left the place of embarkation, but, on seeing 
us arrive, the captain very civilly put back. 

We passed Bonn and Drachenfels, both of which 
disappointed me, and at four o’clock we arrived at 
Coblentz, which is finely situated. A picturesque 
bridge of boats connects it with the citadel of 
Ehrenbreitstein, bristling with its embrasures and 
lines of artillery, on the opposite side of the river. 

There are several fine large inns at Coblentz, 
looking towards the quay. We had good rooms at 
the Hotel du Geant, where we were to pass the 
night, the steamer remaining till seven o’clock the 


13 


COBLENTZ. 

next morning. We took a walk in the evening, 
and, discovering an excellent bookseller’s shop, 
purchased some books, and then crossed the bridge 
of boats. The effect of the scenery at night was 
very striking; “ the wide and winding Rhine,” 
smooth as a mirror, gave back the thousand lights 
from the old Gothic windows and gable ends of 
the numerous edifices. The weather was worthy 
of a southern clime, not a breath of wind, not a 
vestige of damp ; and a clear full moon completed 
the charm of this lovely scene. 

Next morning, September 4th, we continued our 
progress. After Coblentz, the scenery becomes 
much more grand. We passed some old castles, 
and many picturesque crags and hills, feathered 
down to the water’s edge with rich and luxuriant 
foliage. The prettiest seemed to be one belonging 
to Prince Frederic of Prussia. This castle has 
been repaired and rendered habitable, and must be 
in summer a delightful residence. It is situated 
halfway up a rocky hill, perched like an eagle’s 
nest in a romantic situation, and commands no 
doubt a magnificent view. 


14 


MAYENCE. 


We landed at four o’clock at Mayence, which 
appeared a dismal old fortified town ; and, after 
getting our letters, we crossed the bridge of boats, 
which is here thrown over the Rhine, and found 
ourselves at the railway-office. Here, as usual, 
there seemed much confusion, and we discovered, 
when too late, that our carriages ought to have 
been landed at Biberach, and that they must now 
post to Wiesbaden. After waiting an hour in the 
travellers’ room, almost suffocated by thick smoke 
from the persevering Germans’ cigars, and after 
nearly taking the wrong train (which would have 
deposited us at Frankfort), we were conveyed, 
during a tremendous thunderstorm and torrents of 
rain, to Wiesbaden, where we determined to rest a 
few days, and found tolerable rooms at the Hotel 
de la Rose. 

This town is larger than I expected, and remark¬ 
ably clean and well built. It was very full, but we 
found no one of our acquaintance. The waters are 
hot, and are considered very efficacious against gout 
and rheumatism. I can imagine that to an invalid 
in search of health and repose, this place would be a 


WIESBADEN. 


15 


most agreeable abode; but for persons who do not 
drink the waters, or take the baths, and who seek 
amusement in gaiety and excitement, it certainly 
would not answer. 

At six o’clock in the morning the band begins 
to play, and all the people flock to the well, where 
they receive as many glasses of this nearly boiling 
water as they may think fit to swallow, walking 
ten minutes between each; they then hurry to the 
baths, where they remain twenty minutes, and after 
their breakfast the day is spent in walking, loung¬ 
ing, and idling about. The walks at Wiesbaden 
are pretty, and there is a fine square, built of white 
stone, with a large room for play and reunion , and 
a range of shops on each side, under a colonnade. 
The shops appeared all of an inferior description, 
like stalls at a fair. The effect of the Bohemian 
glass is, however, very beautiful : the variety of 
shapes and hues gives the appearance of a garden 
of tulips. 

We made an excursion to Biberach, the summer 
palace of the Duke of Nassau, who has lately suc¬ 
ceeded his father. The gardens are laid out in the 


16 


EXCURSION TO BIBERACII. 


English style, and consist of three hundred acres ; 
the castle looks upon the Rhine, and has a fine 
broad Italian terrace, covered with magnificent 
orange trees. The views up and down the Rhine 
from hence are enchanting, and here we bid fare- 
well to that noble river. The interior of the palace 
is in no way striking. The principal features are 
two galleries in white and gold, one on each 
side of a round room, with a dome supported by 
marble columns. We were shown the private 
apartments, and some vases which had been pre¬ 
sented to the late Duke, by Napoleon and the 
Emperor Nicholas. 

Sunday 7.—We attended divine service in the 
fine old Lutheran chapel; all the resident English 
were there, but I did not recognise any one. The 
weather had entirely changed since the thunder¬ 
storm, and now became so cold that we almost 
longed for fires. 

On Wednesday 10th, we took our leave of Wies¬ 
baden, and our britschka having been ingeniously 
converted into a carriage which would give us 
four inside places and the same number outside, 


FRANKFORT. 


17 


the junior branches of the family were packed 
therein. The method of arranging these little 
open carriages in Germany so that they may close 
for four persons when necessary, has great merit. 
It does not require above ten minutes to effect the 
metamorphosis. Having no travelling waggon or 
fourgon , our beds, canteens, and every thing not 
previously sent on by diligence, were packed on 
the carriages, and our great coach was tolerably 
well loaded. 

We passed through the fine free town of Frank¬ 
fort, but having spent a week there four years ago, 
we did not delay above half an hour, while I drove 
to the brilliant and spacious shop of Monsieur 
Stiegewald, glittering with Bohemian glass of 
every form and hue. Frankfort is finely situated 
on the Maine ; it is built of white stone, has wide 
streets and good hotels. 

We crossed the bridge, and proceeded to As- 
chaffenburg, where we were to pass the night. 
The approach to it is romantic ; a fine old red 
brick castle, with towers and turrets, stands on 
a height. We set out at nine o’clock the fol- 

c 


18 


GERMAN POSTING AND POSTBOYS. 


lowing morning, and passed a large forest and 
some pretty scenery. Nothing can be more weari¬ 
some than the German posting. The sluggishness 
and sang /void of the people, the delays, the hilly 
roads, the extreme slowness, and the impossibility 
of obtaining the smallest attention to your remon¬ 
strances, beyond a puff of smoke in your face, are 
a continued trial of patience. The Bavarian post¬ 
boys are dressed in light blue, with white feathers, 
and a horn, on which they sometimes play a pretty 
waltz, but more frequently only produce a cracked 
and disagreeable sound. A great deal of fuss is 
made about the passports, which are taken from 
you, and pored and mumbled over, in every town. 

Wurzburg is a venerable old city, looking dull 
and deserted, but possessing great remains of its 
former splendour when under ecclesiastic rule. 
An ancient bridge, with colossal statues, is first 
passed. We spent the night at an hotel, which we 
found dear and dirty, and the eating beyond all 
description bad. Having discovered that the 
waiter and the master of the inn understood 
French, I derived considerable comfort from in- 


WURZBURG. 


19 


forming them that we had meant to stay the next 
day,but finding every thing so bad, we should go on. 

Next morning we went to see the old palace, 
which is of great extent, and from its magnificence 
in gilding, marbles, &c., is called the German Ver¬ 
sailles, nor is it wholly unworthy of the name. 
The chapel, into which we were first shown, is not 
very much inferior to the French one. The stair¬ 
case is large, and particularly easy of ascent. 
There are various suites of apartments belonging 
to the king, the queen, the crown prince, and the 
queen mother. The rooms of the latter are filled 
with pictures of her numerous family, but there is 
nothing remarkable beyond the length of the vista, 
and the number of apartments, except an old 
chamber entirely composed of painted glass ; even 
the ceiling and shutters are of the brightest co- 
lours, and the whole has a singular and pleasing 
effect, being like the finest enamel. 

We went to see the old cathedral, which is 
spacious and handsome, and was once richly gilt. 
After a hurried visit to a curiosity-shop, where 
china, glass, cabinets, old silver, and plate were 

c 2 


20 


WURZBURG. 


displayed, we recommenced our journey. The dis¬ 
tance from Wurzburg to Nuremburg may be ac¬ 
complished in twelve hours, but we determined to 
divide this, and sleep at Langenfeldt, a small dirty 
inn, where, nineteen years before, returning from 
Vienna, we bought and carried off all their china, 
of which they knew not the beauty, but which 
turned out to be the finest old Dresden, and once 
the property of the Margrave of Anspach. The 
landlord remembered us all, but was surprised when 
shown Seaham, as the baby then three months old. 

On arriving at Nuremburg the following day, 
after passing through a country where hop-gardens 
replaced the vineyard, we found the whole place in 
the greatest possible state of commotion and re¬ 
joicing. The king held his court there, and the 
reviews were just over ; there had been 20,000 
men. Many foreigners of distinction were still 
there, and several balls and concerts had been 
lately given. Every house was decorated with 
blue and white festoons, every window wreathed 
with garlands, and triumphal arches had been 
erected, flags were flying, and in short the city was 


ROYAL FORGETFULNESS. 


21 


one scene of gaiety. We found rooms prepared 
for us at the Hotel de Baviere, and here we deter¬ 
mined to remain a few days. 

Lord L. wrote to the aide-de-camp in waiting, 
explaining our ignorance of the king’s being at 
Nuremburg, our intention of proceeding to Munich 
to pay our court, and also that Lord L.’s uniform 
had been sent on with the baggage, but that he 
trusted he would be allowed the gratification of an 
audience of his majesty. To this we received a cold 
and flat refusal, rendered the more ungracious and 
unkind, in Lord L.’s opinion, from the former inti¬ 
macy that subsisted between the king, when crown 
prince, and Lord L., and the late Lord Castlereagh, 
at Vienna, during the Congress in 1814. We 
found Lord Combermere, who had .met with a 
similar refusal. 

Prince Ernest of Saxe Coburg came to visit us. 
He had performed our last year’s tour round Spain, 
had been to Lisbon and Tangiers, and expressed 
himself delighted with all he had seen. He was 
going off immediately to the camp near Manheim, 
where there were to be reviews of the German con- 


22 


NUREMBURG. 


federation troops, consisting of about 60,000 men, 
commanded by the King of Wurttemberg. 

The weather being very wet during our stay at 
Nuremburg, we were unable to go out. The town 
of Furth, close to it, has lately sprung up, and is 
principally peopled with Jews. A railroad con¬ 
nects it with Nuremburg, and a distance of four 
miles is accomplished in a quarter of an hour ; for 
even the railways in Germany partake of the na¬ 
tional slowness. The canal that is to connect the 
Danube and the Rhine, and fulfill the great scheme 
of Charlemagne and the favourite project of Napo¬ 
leon, will pass through this city. It is an immense 
work, and will cost twelve hundred thousand 
florins. It appears to be carried on in a noble 
manner, being formed with the finest and whitest 
stone. We were told it had been undertaken by 
the king, who was very eager about it, but that 
commercial men had no opinion of the speculation, 
and that the shares had fallen thirty per cent., 
from the idea that there never could be sufficient 
traffic to repay such an immense outlay. 

We were unwilling to leave Nuremburg without 


NUREMBURG. 


23 


seeing Fiirth ; we accordingly set out by the rail¬ 
way, which runs close by the roadside, and appears 
to be placed there for the purpose of frightening 
all the horses that pass near it. I must not omit 
to record the singular fact that, as there is but 
one steam-engine, which is always going backwards 
and forwards, the alternate trips are performed by 
two miserable horses. Having missed the right 
train, by delaying too long at Mr. Pickert’s, an 
old Jew, with all the commercial dexterity and 
acuteness of his tribe, who has an immense collec¬ 
tion of antiques and curiosities of all sorts and de¬ 
scriptions, we returned with the horses, and were 
half an hour on the road. 

We were informed that there is not a single 
English resident in all Nuremburg. It is a dull 
old town. We went over the exhibition, where in 
several rooms are displayed the various manufactures 
of the place. The furniture was the best, and rather 
in the French style ; but, in general, the things 
struck me as clumsy and uncouth. We also visited 
Bestel Meyer’s, a sort of bazaar, where I was 
much struck with the beauty of the toys, every 


RATISBON. 


£4 

thing being executed in miniature, in gold and 
silver. 

Wednesday 16.—We left Nuremburg. The dis¬ 
tance to Ratisbon, thirteen and a half German 
miles, or sixty-five English, was divided into two 
days, as the roads were hilly, the carriages heavy, 
and the posting indescribably slow and tedious. 
We slept at a clean new inn at Neumarkt, and pro¬ 
ceeded next morning to Ratisbon. The scenery 
was wild, and we passed through a great extent of 
forest. There is a stone bridge at Ratisbon, the 
only one on the whole course of the Danube down 
to the Black Sea. 

The inn at Ratisbon was noisy and dirty, though 
the best in the place; but,as we only intended to 
stay one day, this was of little consequence. We 
determined to make the most of our time; and, set¬ 
ting out early, in a dirty fiacre, drove to Monsieur 
Kock’s curiosity-shop. We found temptation only 
in some silver clasps for books, and, after making 
choice of a few, and offering nearly half what he 
demanded, we left him to reflect upon the matter, 
and pursued our drive. The Rathhaus, or Town 


THE WALIIALLA. 


25 

kJ 

Hall, lias no merit in point of beauty, but is of 
great antiquity; the barbarous and ancient me¬ 
thods of torture are to be seen, but we declined 
the pressing invitation of our guide to visit them. 
Ratisbon is a curious old town, but melancholy and 
deserted; the cathedral is a fine specimen of an¬ 
cient Gothic architecture ; some of the windows 
are of old painted glass, but those put in by the 
present king nearly equal them in richness of 
colour. 

We drove to the Walhalla, which occupied 
about half an hour, through an ugly flat country. 
This fine Grecian temple is built on an eminence 
looking over the Danube, and has a very extensive 
and magnificent view. It was commenced in 1830, 
and is to be finished in 1842. The conception is 
grand, and too much praise cannot be bestowed on 
the King of Bavaria, for the liberality and public 
spirit with which it has been executed, with reve¬ 
nues that otherwise he might have appropriated to 
himself. The proportions I regretted I could not 
obtain, but they are colossal. It is built on the 
model of the Parthenon, and is of the finest white 


26 


STATUE BY DANNECKER. 


stone, entirely lined with red and white marble, 
and is destined to contain the statues and busts of 
all the great, good, and wise men of Germany, 
from the earliest ages to the present moment. 
Three stone terraces and a flight of steps lead down 
to the river. 

At the adjoining village is the summer residence 
of Prince Tour and Taxis. The gardens are on the 
Danube, and the stables and riding-school seemed 
well arranged; but being pressed for time, we did 
not delay, but returned to Ratisbon. Here is the 
town palace of the same prince, who is said to pos¬ 
sess immense wealth. It is yet in an unfinished 
state, and numbers of workmen are employed 
about it. Some Gothic passages and a small pri¬ 
vate chapel have been completed, and are in good 
taste. The painted windows in the latter, though 
modern, are exquisitely finished, and a fine statue 
of Christ is here, in Carrara marble, by Dannecker. 
We saw a collection of modern pictures, and on 
returning home we found Monsieur Kock, who had 
decided on accepting our offer for the silver book- 


STEAMING ON THE DANUBE. 27 

The journey from Ratisbon to Vienna being 
nearly sixty posts, and tedious and uninteresting, 
we determined to avail ourselves of the steamers 
down the Danube, which mode of travelling re¬ 
duces the whole to a voyage of two days. The 
only drawback is the necessity of rising early, the 
vessel starting before five o’clock in the morning. 
On account of the difficulty of the navigation of 
the Danube, the boats are very long and narrow. 
Those to Lintz, which is the first day’s halt, belong 
to a Bavarian company, and are certainly inferior 
to the Austrian. 

We passed the Walhalla, which, when the 
wooden shed in which it is now encased is re¬ 
moved, will be a commanding object from the 
Danube. The scenery is in my opinion much more 
striking than the dressed and cultivated banks of 
the Rhine; the steep hills, the dark pine-forests, 
the high crags, are all bolder; nor are ruins and old 
castles wanting to complete the picturesque effect, 
while antique legends and traditions add to the in¬ 
terest. 

We reached Lintz at seven o’clock in the even- 


28 LINTZ. 

ing, and with great difficulty got some extremely 
bad garrets, at the inn called “The White Goose,” 
for which I was told we paid nearly double what 
we had previously given for good apartments. 

The carriage and baggage were removed to the 
Austrian steamer, and next morning at six, we 
went on board, in a most violent deluge of rain. 
The vessel was much larger than that of the pre¬ 
ceding day, but we found it a scene of bustle and 
confusion, as several carriages, and between two 
and three hundred people of all nations, required 
accommodation. 

I was quite comfortable in a deck-cabin, with 
plenty of air and light, from whence I could gaze 
on the scenery, and, unseen, observe our fellow-pas¬ 
sengers. A Tyrolese party, in their national dress, 
attracted attention ; their carriage was peculiar, 
and we were told that the head of the family was 
a chief in his own land. Turks, Germans, and a 
motley crew, completed the party. 

We made acquaintance with the Belgian mi¬ 
nister, who was going to Vienna, and found him a 
gentlemanlike young man. The rain continued with- 


ARRIVAL AT VIENNA. 


29 


out intermission the whole day. The scenery was 
much the same as yesterday, and the river, rushing 
like an angry torrent, bore us on rapidly. We passed 
Molk, and admired its old Benedictine convent, 
which is of great size, and situated on a height 
overhanging the river. It is a noble object, and 
must command a magnificent view. 

At about four o’clock we reached Neusdorf, and 
the passengers rushed to the landing, to meet their 
expecting friends in the crowd assembled on shore. 
Prince Esterhazy had most kindly sent his in- 
tendant and his carriage, to take us to the Swan 
Inn in Vienna, where we were to reside until his 
country-house at Maria-Hiilf, at a short distance 
from the town, could be prepared for our recep¬ 
tion. We were driven by the coachman who had 
served us when we were last in Vienna, in 1823. 

The hotel was noisy, and, though the cookery 

was good, we had in no other respect reason to be 

pleased with our abode. Our rooms were large, 

but on the second-floor, and we were annoyed with 

a very bad smell, most accurately described in 

Murray’s “ Southern Germany.’* 

%/ + 


30 


COUNT MICIIEL WORONZOFF. 


Here we found a letter from Count Micliel 
Woronzoff, and moreover heard that he was in 
Vienna, and would come and see us, and talk over 
the possibility of our going to Constantinople by 
Odessa and the Crimea, rather than by the Danube. 
On the one hand was to be considered the fatigue 
of a long land journey, over bad roads, and with 
bad inns; and on the other, the damps and risks 
of the Danube, the changing steamers, &c. 




CHAPTER II. 


Dinner with the English ambassador—Changes—Prince Met- 
ternich—Old recollections—Dinner at the Russian ambassador’s— 
Prince Metternich’s gardens—Children of Prince Metternich—Ilis 
conversation—Old times—Recollections of the Congress of Vi¬ 
enna —Prince Esterhazy—Dinner at Prince Metternich’s—Prince 
Jablonowsky—Cerito—Anecdotes of old Vestris—Princess Met¬ 
ternich—Interesting collection of portraits—The Prater—Visit to 
Prince Esterhazy at Pottendorf—Princess Lichtenstein—Prince 
Nicholas—Singular old fortress and its treasures—Visit to Ester- 
hiiz—Vast estate — A wild bo}^—Visit to Siegendorf—Count 
Szcheny—Countess Zicliy — Eisenstadt — Immense orangery— 
Statue by Canova — An evening party at Prince Metternich’s — 
Thai berg’s playing—Lizst. 






CHANGES. 


33 


CHAPTER II. 

The day after our arrival, we dined with Lord 
Beauvale. He was extremely kind and amiable, 
but I was rather surprised to find the English am¬ 
bassador established in two rooms, on a second- 
floor. Mr. Crompton and Mr. Maule, the two 
attaches , and Mr. Milbanke, the secretary of the 
embassy, whom we had formerly known at Peters¬ 
burg, completed the party. 

It is curious to revisit a place after eighteen 
years’ absence, and to mark the changes in society. 
Prince Metternich replied to Lord L.’s inquiries 
after various people— 

“ Ecoutez, mon cher—les vieilles femmes que 
vous avez connues sont mortes, et les jeunes sont 
devenues vieilles. Voila l’histoire.” 

D 


34 


OLD RECOLLECTIONS. 


We asked permission to see our old house, now 
the residence of the French ambassador, and we 
walked through all the rooms, so interesting to us 
from former recollections. It is still one of the 
best houses in Vienna. 

The city has been greatly improved ; the suburbs 
have been paved and connected with the town, 
which of itself is small; the buildings are grander, 
the shops and magasins more than trebled, and 
great changes for the better have taken place on 
all sides. 

Wednesday 23.—We were at a great dinner at 
Monsieur Tatischeff, the Russian ambassador’s. He 
has the spacious hotel belonging to Prince Louis 
Lichtenstein. The dinner was very magnificent, 
and I was afterwards shown the armoury, and an 
immense collection of bijouterie and vieilleries. 
We met Madame Narishkin, Count Woronzoff, 
Prince and Princess Kourakin, Countess Razo- 
moffsky, and many whose names I did not 
know. 

After the dinner we drove to Prince Metternich’s 
garden, where there was a “ reception ” he and the 


PRINCE METTERNICH. 


35 


princess haying just returned from their chateau at 
Konigswarth in Bohemia. I own I was curious to see 
once more this extraordinary man, who has so long 
exercised such an influence over European politics, 
and whose power here seems supreme. Eighteen 
years ago, I thought him old, hut very agreeable ; 
he was then married to an amiable invalid, of his 
own age, and had four daughters and one son. 
Within short intervals he lost all but two daugh¬ 
ters, one of whom is now married to Count Shan- 
dor, a great Hungarian noble, who was in England, 
and for some time at Melton. The loss of his only 
son Victor was a severe blow ; and when his second 
daughter Clementine, a beautiful girl, who was 
painted by Lawrence as Hebe, faded away, his af¬ 
fliction was extreme. He was, however, in time 
consoled by a charming young wife, who was 
rather looked down on by the proud noblesse of 
Vienna, on account of her Jewish origin. Gentle 
and lovely, she lived but a year, and died, leaving 
one child, a boy. Soon afterwards, the prince 
again found comfort in a third choice, Countess 
Melanie Zichy, the present princess. She is an 


36 


PRINCE METTERNICH. 


agreeable, handsome woman, and has now three 
children, the eldest about eight years old. 

I found the prince’s manner unchanged; the 
same peculiar calmness still distinguished him. 
His form is yet erect, but his eye less brilliant; the 
face had lengthened, the hair was silvered; in 
short, time had been at work. The expression, 
the mind were there, but the fire was abated. He 
embraced Lord L., and kissed my hand. 

“ Enchante de vous revoir, miladi, apres vingt 
ans.” 

“ Eighteen,” I replied. 

“ Ah, ce n’etait pas la peine de me corriger 
pour si peu de chose.” 

In answer to our observation that he was not 
grown old, he observed, 

“ Non, on ne change pas, on ne vieillit plus, et 
je vais vous prouver cela. J’ai fait dernierement ce 
raisonnement sur ce chapitre a la Princesse * * 
qui ne veut pas vieillir; c’est la sa manie ; car elle 
est tres vieille, et tout en le disant, elle n’en con- 
vient pas. ‘ Tenez,’ je lui ai dit, ‘ vous ne changez 
pas.’ — ‘ Mais oui.’—‘ Eh bien, je vous prouverai 


PRINCE METTERNICH. 


37 


logiquement que non. La vie se compose d’heures; 
le temps et l’existence sont composes de moments ; 
done a dix lieures prenez votre glace, regardez y ; 
a dix lieures et demie, regardez y encore; vous ne 
trouvez point de changement; encore un quart 
d’heure, pas de changement;—done dans quel mo¬ 
ment changez vous? dans aucun. Or done vous 
ne cliangez pas.’ II y a 26 ans depuis le congres : 
que de changemens! que de monde est mort! Le 
Roi de Prusse etait le seul souverain qui existait; 
a present il est mort; moi je suis le seal ministre 
qui existe.” 

“ Nesselrode,” interrupted Lord L. 

“ Non, il n’etoit alors que secretaire. Beaucoup 
de monde existait il y a 26 ans ; mais il fallait deja 
etre vieux pour etre ministre, ou chef. Et Wel¬ 
lington etait le seul general en chef de ce temps 
la. Et pour les plenipotentiaires, ils sont tons 
morts aussi. Vous,” turning to Lord L., “ graces 
au ciel, vous voila! le pauvre Castlereagh, que je 
regretterai toujours—Talleyrand est mort—Cath- 
cart, il est mort.” 

“ Non, il existe toujours,” said Lord L. 


38 


PRINCE METTERNICH. 


“ Eh bien, dans ce cas la, celuila n’est pas 
mort; mais Wrede, Gentz, &c., enfin, tout le 
monde est mort.” 

Talking of affairs, he said, 

“ On revient toujours a la meine chose ; il n’y a 
rien de nouveau, et si je voulois le trouver je cher- 
cherois dans mes cahiers et mes cartons du passe. 
Au reste, si Pon veut bien, et qu’on a la ferme de¬ 
termination de bien vouloir, Pon est comme le 
centre d’une roue—tout tourne autour de vous, et 
Pon revient ou on en etait. Et comment vont les 
charbons, milord? Bien? Ah, tant mieux ; mais 
ils alloient mal il y a quelque temps; pourquoi est 
ce qu’ils alloient mal ? Les railways et les 
steamers devroient les faire aller bien.” 

“ C’est une longue liistoire,” said Lord L., “ a 
expliquer.” 

“ Bien, si elle est longue ne la racontez pas. 
Qu’est ce que vous faites demain ? Youlez vous 
diner ici a 5 heures ?” 

We then took our leave, and drove to our new 
habitation at Maria-Hulf, a charming house most 
kindly lent us by Prince Esterhazy, and doubly 


39 


Ills GARDEN. 

delightful after four days’ residence in a comfort¬ 
less inn. 

The following day was spent in receiving visits, 
and establishing ourselves in our new abode. 

The five o’clock dinners are to me very dis¬ 
agreeable ; they entirely cut up and destroy the 
day, and are extremely inconvenient to persons 
who like a long morning. 

We drove to Prince Metternich’s garden, a 
lovely residence in the town, with all the quiet 
and charm of the country. The building is large, 
and has'been augmented at different times, and as 
the prince said, “ Mes gens ont une maison, mes 
enfans ont la leur, et ma femme et moi nous 
sommes seuls dans celle-ci.” 

There was a profusion of flowers, and the beds 
were laid out in the English fashion. The recep¬ 
tion-rooms are charming, and being only divided 
by large sheets of plate-glass, the whole is visible 
at once; the decorations are beautiful, and in the 
best possible taste. I particularly admired a fine 
Malachite vase, and another of jasper, both pre¬ 
sents from the Emperor of Russia. 


40 


DINNER AT 


The dinner was, as is usual in Germany, very 
long; a parterre of flowers rose out of the middle 
of the table. I sat between Prince Metternich 
(who led me into dinner) and Prince Jablonowski, 
a former acquaintance. 

Some conversation arose respecting Pasta and 
David, then at Vienna; and as to good masters. 
Prince Metternich observed, 

“ Selon moi, c’est comme la recette pour faire 
la soupe au lievre; premierernent il faut attraper 
votre lievre; done premierernent, pour chanter, il 
faut une belle voix.” 

Talking of Cerito, he asked me what success 
she had in London. 1 said a comparison had 
been made between her and Taglioni, 14 et c’est 
deja beaucoup,” I added. 

44 Beaucoup trop, selon moi,” he said ; 44 mais si 
elle vole comme cela, on dira d’elle ce que le vieux 
Vestris disait de son fils : 4 Oh, pour lui, il s’ennuie 
en Pair.’ ” 

Prince Jablonowsky said, 44 II disait aussi qu’il 
ne touchait terre que par procede pour ses cama- 
rades. 




PRINCE METTERNICH S. 


41 


Prince Metternich replied, 

“ Oui, mais ceci est beaucoup plus fort—il s’en- 
nuie en Pair—done, il n’y a plus d’effort pour lui! 
On ne peut depasser cela. Dans l’annee 1806,” 
continued the prince, “j'etais arnbassadeur a 
Paris ; le lendeniain de mon arrivee, je vais au spec¬ 
tacle ; on me donne une loge au milieu de la salle, 
et devant cette loge se trouve un yieillard tres 
grand, poudre, coiffe aile-de-pigeon. Il se leve, se 
retourne, me salue, et me fait une grand reverence. 
Je demande ce que cela veut dire, et on me re¬ 
pond que e’est le vieux Vestris, qui fait toujours 
les lionneurs aux ambassadeurs.” 

Prince Jablonowski said, “ J’ai vu danser a la 
fois, dans la Dansomanie , Vestris, son fils, et son 
petit fils.” 

After dinner the princess showed us a most 
interesting collection of pictures. In four years 
she had filled five large books with the portraits 
of all the sovereigns, ministers, heroes, and great 
men, or public characters, of different countries, of 
the day. As Prince Metternich said, 


42 


THE PRATER. 


“Cela a commence par les connaissances du sa¬ 
lon, et puis cela s’est generalise.” 

The pictures are well painted, and strikingly 
like; they are mostly done in Vienna, by an artist 
named Daffinger; some, however, have been sent out 
from other countries. This collection will become 
invaluable in time, as it is unique, for few are in 
the situation to have the opportunity and power of 
obtaining these pictures, even if they had the 
courage or the will to lay such a tax on their 
friends and acquaintances, by making a request, 
or rather giving a command, that cannot be 
disputed. 

I was surprised to find the lovely Prater aban¬ 
doned and deserted. No capital possesses so fine 
a park; none can boast of a wild forest in the 
heart of a great city; but because it is not the 
fashion, no one goes there. The autumn tint was 
on the leaves, the wind whistled through the long 
allees , and the whole scene was so changed from 
my remembrances of it in the month of May, 
when four rows of carriages could hardly move. 


POTTENDOIIF. 


43 


and music and dancing were going on on all 
sides, cafes open, and crowds of smart, gay people, 
that I only went there once. They now flock to 
Hitzing and Schonbrunn, a short way from the 
town ; and in the evening Strauss’s band generally 
plays there, or in the Volksgarten. 

With all their apathy and slowness, the Ger¬ 
mans are a very gay, junketing nation, always 
dressing, dancing, and seeking amusement, and, 
as a Russian lady said to me, 

“ C’est le pays des chapeaux ; jusqu’a la cuisi- 
niere on les a couverts de fleurs.” This passion for 
dress in the women adds to the brightness of the 
scene. 

The inconvenience of walking in Vienna is 
great, because in the streets, all are confounded 
together, there are no trottoirs , and the carriages 
frequently drive close to the houses, without any 
warning or apology, beyond a prolonged and 
mournful “ Oh !”—something between a howl and 
a scream. 

Saturday , Oct. 3.—We started for Pottendorf, 


44 


FORCHENSTEIN. 


on a visit to Prince Esterhazy. This residence is 
about thirty miles from Vienna, and prettily si¬ 
tuated. The grounds are laid out a VA nglaise, 
and a piece of water runs through them. A pro¬ 
fusion of flowers decorate the balustrades and the 
various little bridges; the house is old, but has been 
altered and made very comfortable by the present 
possessor. It is not very large, only containing 
about six good lodging-rooms besides the suite we 
occupied. The party was small; Princess Leo- 
poldine Lichtenstein, sister to Prince Esterhazy, 
Prince Nicholas his son, Count Szcheny, and our¬ 
selves, sat down to dinner at six o’clock. 

Next morning, at nine o’clock, we set out in an 
open carriage and four, followed by a chariot in 
case of bad weather, to Forchenstein, a curious 
old fortress belonging to the prince, about twenty- 
seven miles off. A little river near Pottendorf 
divides Austria from Hungary. We passed through 
several villages, that were clean and whitewashed. 
The houses are placed rather distant from each 
other, on account of the frequent fires, and the 


FOR CIIEN STEIN. 


45 


streets are wide. The appearance of the pea¬ 
santry was creditable—all comfortably and well 
clothed, and their manner respectful. 

Our road lay through a wild steppe , or plain, 
only inhabited by shepherds tending their flocks. 
A large portion of the prince’s income is derived 
from the produce of the wool, which, as he said, 
is like the coals to us coal-owners. He has 
bought all the adjoining posts and post-horses, 
and carries on the traffic as the government 
does. We found our relays in readiness every 
where, and really the Hungarian driving was so 
rapid as to be more in the Russian than the 
Austrian style. 

We had already changed horses once, when, on 
arriving at the foot of the mountain, on the top 
of which the castle stands, we were met by the 
people of the village, when small strong horses, 
belonging to the peasantry, were attached to our 
carriage, and we commenced the winding ascent. 
Formerly the steep passage up was performed by 
oxen, but stout ponies are now considered as equally 
effective. The rocky heights, the background of the 


46 


FORCHENSTEIN. 


mountains, and the forests of chestnut trees, are 
all very picturesque. 

As we passed onward, cannons were fired from 
the old fortress, the echoes repeated the sound, 
and the effect was like thunder. A military 
guard saluted us, and we entered this fine old 
chateau, which, though in perfect preservation, 
is not habitable. The view from the windows 
was enchanting; the walls were covered with 
unframed portraits of all the ancestors of the 
family. 

After walking through the rooms, and examin¬ 
ing the pictures (including one, where as some one 
observed, “ L’arbre genealogique de la famille 
Esterhazy sortait de I’estomac d’Adam ”), we de¬ 
scended to some vaults, in one of which are pre¬ 
served the papers, parchments, swords, horse- 
trappings, &c., taken from the Turks in various 
wars. 

The third vault, a long low gallery, lined with 
glazed presses, is filled with a most curious collec¬ 
tion of antiquities. There are twenty-six clocks, 
all of different kinds; some are silver and enamel, 


ESTERHAZ. 


47 


with music and mechanism. There are also num¬ 
bers of sabres and daggers, studded with turquoises, 
and some with rubies and emeralds. Among 
other things I w T as particularly struck with two 
large mirrors, in solid frames of old embossed 
silver. There are besides, medals, coins, strings 
of old rings, &c. : in short, no description can 
convey an adequate impression of the variety and 
richness of this collection. After viewing the 
chateau, we partook of an excellent luncheon, and 
returned to Pottendorf. 

Next morning, Monday, was very unpropitious 
for our projected expedition to Esterhaz. The rain 
came down in torrents; and the princess, having- 
suffered all night from spasms, was too ill to 
move. The prince, however, insisted on our going, 
as all the preparations had been made, and the 
people were in readiness to receive us. He there¬ 
fore set out en ccdeche , accompanied by his secre¬ 
tary, and Lord L. and I followed in a small 
chariot. 

After four or five hours’ shaking, we arrived 
about two o’clock at Esterhaz, an old palace or 


48 


ESTER HAZ. 

chateau, in the Louis XIV. style. The great grand¬ 
father of the prince had been ambassador at Paris 
during the reign of that monarch, and on his 
return he determined to build this luxurious and 
magnificent abode, and make himself independ¬ 
ent of Vienna. The woods and alleys are very 
beautiful, but the situation is low and damp, and, 
I should fear, unwholesome. A great lake is on 
one side, and the Raab and Danube flow on the 
other. The prince’s secretary told me that 200,000 
acres of the estate required to be drained; and 
that 50,000 were about to be thus improved. The 
building is of vast size; and has a great facade, 
offices, stables, an orangery, and a theatre, where 
the founder, a singular old man, used to have an 
Italian opera, Haydn leading the orchestra. Having 
his own private society, he never invited any one; 
but the more company came, and the longer they 
stayed, the better he was pleased. They were lodged 
and served, and carriages placed at their orders, 
to drive about in the day, and go to the theatre at 
night. In order to fill the latter, the peasants were 
made to attend, instead of being required to work. 


49 


ESTERHAZ. 

An exterior flight of steps leads to the first or 
principal floor, where are two large and lofty 
saloons, beautifully painted and magnificently gilt, 
in the most perfect taste of the age in which the 
chateau was built. On one side are five or six 
rooms, which used to be inhabited by Marie 
Therese whenever she paid a visit here, and on the 
other side a similar apartment for the Emperor 
Joseph. The gilding, the carving, the paintings, 
the ornaments, and the old chairs and sofas, are 
all in the style that is now so much copied, and so 
universally admired. The parquets are all fine. 
The silk is worn and faded, but very little would 
make the house habitable and extremely enjoyable. 

Below is a curious old hall, where fountains 
played, and on each side are the apartments of the 
prince and princess. These rooms, with windows 
down to the ground, open into an old French 
garden, and in fine weather must be delightful. 
They are panelled en meux laque , richly gilt, and 
fitted up with pea-green silk, embroidered in gold. 

I never heard such musical clocks as were placed 
in every room; and in the prince’s apartment is 

E 


50 


SIEGENDOllF. 


one with a canary, that sung every night, and this 
was the usual signal for his highness to go to the 
theatre. 

The accommodation for strangers is abundant, 
and the rooms are really very comfortable ; the 
whole is in perfect taste, and might easily be made 
a charming abode. In an old garde meuble are 
some curious things, and a great quantity of the 
finest old Dresden porcelain. I remained by the 
drawing-room fire while the prince showed Lord L. 
his large stud of horses. Monsieur Mayer, the 
secretary, meanwhile related to me a marvellous 
but true story of a wild boy having been found 
in the woods here. He could not speak, was per¬ 
fectly savage, and ate raw fish. They kept him a 
year, and tried every means to tame him, but all 
in vain. He tore off the clothes that were put on 
him, refused to taste boiled meat, and finally 
escaped by jumping into the lake, and was never 
heard of afterwards. 

At four o’clock we left Esterhaz, and set out 
for Siegendorf, the residence of Count Stephan 
Szcheny, a Hungarian noble. It was arranged that 


SIEGENDORF. 


51 


we should dine here. We had formerly known 
him intimately, and he had been several times in 
England, having quite an Anglomania. He used 
to vow that nothing should ever induce him to 
marry; but seven years ago he broke his resolu¬ 
tion, and was united to a Countess Zichy, to whom 
he had been long attached. She had five children 
of her own, and some of her husband’s by a former 
wife, and as they have now two little ones with 
beautiful eyes, there is a large family party. 

The count has built an odd but comfortable 
house, very much in the English fashion, and fitted 
it up with various chintzes. The great dining-room 
was lighted as for a ball ; the sideboards were 
covered with cups, &c., won at the Presburg, 
Pestli, and Vienna races. There was a great deal of 
heart and good feeling in the count’s manner and 
reception, and it was evident that extraordinary 
efforts had been made to arrange every thing 
for our gratification. I rejoiced, therefore, that 
the rain had not prevented our day’s expedition. 
1 found the count as amusing and agreeable as 


ever. 


52 


EISENSTADT. 


We took our leave soon after dinner, and went 
on to Eisenstadt, where we arrived at about ten 
o’clock, very tired, and went to bed. This splen¬ 
did possession is certainly the principal seat, and 
ought to be the principal residence, of Prince 
Esterhazy. The house is of immense size; the 
gardens, drives, pleasure-grounds, stables, chasse , 
&c., are all centred here, and are in the most 
princely style. This spacious pile of buildings is 
capable of containing four hundred visiters, and 
we were shewn a baronial hall where six hundred 
had dined. 

A little carriage waited to take us over the 
grounds. The gardens are of great extent, and 
close to the house. The hothouse range is between 
six and seven hundred feet long; three hundred 
and eighty large and healthy orange-trees had 
just been taken in, and, to give an idea of the 
profusion of plants, in one house there were two 
hundred and fifty different heaths. The gardener 
was a German, and spoke a little English; and, 
after he had shewn us all his department, to my 
amazement, he mounted a long-tailed, prancing 


STATUE BY CANOYA. 


53 


black charger, and guided us through the grounds. 
Here and there we admired the beautiful views 
of Forchenstein and Esterliaz in the distance, 
surrounded by extensive vineyards. The Marie 
temple is in the grounds, situated on a com¬ 
manding eminence; but the Leopoldine temple 
near the house is more interesting, as it con¬ 
tains an admirable statue of the Princess Leo¬ 
poldine, executed by Canova, when she was 
only eighteen. It is graceful and lovely, though 
unfortunately there are some blemishes in the 
marble. 

Shortly after our return to Vienna, I went one 
evening to a small party at Princess Metternich’s, 
to hear Thalberg play. The ladies formed a circle 
round him, and the men stood in a group by them¬ 
selves. The piano was placed in the middle of 
the room; and, after the performer, who seemed a 
gentlemanlike, shy young man, had been presented 
to me, the music began. He played three pieces ; 
the last and most admired was the prayer in 
Rossini’s “ Mose in Egitto,” with extremely diffi¬ 
cult variations. Prince Metternich said he pre- 


54 


tiialberg’s playing. 


ferred Thalberg to Lizst, though the latter did 
things that were more astounding. 

o O 

“ II fait,” said the prince, “ des impossibility, 
et il est romanesque; tandis que Thalberg est tou- 
jours classique.” 

The princess’s dress was singular, but very 
pretty. Her gown was black, and a Turkish shawl 
of black and gold was folded round her; on her 
neck immense emerald drops fell from a slender 
line of diamonds, and a flat Persian cap of gold 
and embroidery lay on one side of her head, while 
an enormous tassel of floss silk that hung from it 
served her as a plaything during the evening. 


CHAPTER III. 


Departure from Vienna — Embark on the Danube — The cap¬ 
tain—A character — Travelling companions — Emir Pacha — A 
German Baron—A Turkish doctor—A French milliner — Banks 
of the Danube—Presburg—Pesth—Buda— Suspension-bridge— 
Hungarian peasantry—Moliacs—Semlin — Belgrade — Drencova 
—Scenery of the Danube—Singular grotto—The Zingari—Fine 
road to Orsova—Wallachian village—Custom-House annoyances 
— Troubles of steaming — Carpathian mountains—Rutschuk— 
Aground—Giurgivo—Crossing the Balkan—Silistria—Braila— 
Galatz—Wallachian hospitality—A Wallachian ball — Zingari— 
Ferdinand steamer—Arrival at Constantinople. 



DEPARTURE FROM VIENNA. 



CHAPTER III. 

As the time drew near for our departure from 
Vienna, I became very sad. We had spent nearly 
a month there, and had been treated with the 
greatest kindness ; and, although there was nei¬ 
ther gaiety, grandeur, nor excitement, there was 
an absence of all worry and constraint; and we 
enjoyed so agreeable an existence, that, but for 
the remembrance that kind friends expected us 
elsewhere, I think our journey to Constantinople 
would have been given up, or at least delayed till 
the spring. Our fate, however, was sealed, the 
die cast, and the break-up of the party commenced 
by our son Seaham’s going off, en courrier, to 
England, with a messenger who arrived suddenly 
from Constantinople on the 13th, and was again 


58 


EMBARK ON THE DANUBE. 

despatched on the night of the 14th. The remain¬ 
ing children moved to the apartments we had taken 
for them at the “ Stadt London,” a clean, quiet 
inn near the ramparts; and next day, at two 
o’clock, we embarked on board the Galatea, a 
small steamer that had arrived in consequence of 
the Danube being too low to admit of the regular 
one making the voyage. 

The place of embarkation is a pretty wild spot 
at the end of the Prater. Owing to the change of 
the boat, the company sent our carriage by land— 
rather an inconvenient arrangement, and a bad 
beginning for our expedition. The vessel was 
long and narrow. On each side we found a small 
deck-cabin arranged to receive us ; below was a 
ladies’ cabin and a good saloon. The captain, 
an Italian, spoke all languages, German, French, 
English, &c.; he was tall and handsome, and an 
extremely agreeable, gentlemanlike, well-informed 
man. 

The only persons of our acquaintance on board 
were Mr. Napier, a young Englishman, and Emir 
Pacha, a Turk, who was returning to his own 


BANKS OF TIIE DANUBE. 


59 


country, after spending five years in England, and 
some time at Cambridge. He was presented to us 
by the Turkish minister, who bade him farewell 
in the most affectionate manner, taking his head 
between his hands as one would a child’s, and 
kissing both sides of his face. There was also 
Baron Taubenheim, a Wurttemberg officer, going to 
Syria to buy horses for his sovereign; an Austrian 
colonel; a Turkish doctor, who spoke all lan¬ 
guages ; an old Countess de Maltzalm, mother to 
Countess Konigsmarck, the wife of the Prussian 
minister at Constantinople ; and many others whom 
I knew not even by name. Among the motley 
crowd was a French milliner, carrying Paris 
fashions to the east, and a Vienna lady going to 
marry the Austrian consul at Galatz. 

The weather was most unpropitious, and tor¬ 
rents of rain fell unceasingly. The banks of the 
Danube were for the most part flat and desolate. 
We passed a picturesque ruin on a height, and 
arrived about five o’clock at Presburg, where there 
is a bridge of boats, and an old square castle on a 
hill. All the passengers hastened on shore, leaving 


60 


PllESBURG. 


us in quiet possession of the vessel, for we declined 
landing, although we were told that there was an 
opera, “ La Sonnambula,” and a great fete going 
on. Our dinner was rather a scramble, and we 
soon after retired to rest. My berth was so high 
I had some difficulty in getting in, and when there, 
in avoiding breaking my head. 

At five o’clock next morning, guns were fired to 
summon the passengers on board, and we once more 
got under weigh; and at about ten o’clock we ar¬ 
rived at the station where the carriage waited, and 
the captain had it immediately shipped, when, to 
our surprise and indignation, we found the locks 
had been broken and the things examined. This 
appeared to us a most unjustifiable act, and pecu¬ 
liarly so, from the circumstance that it was in no 
way our fault that the carriage was sent by land, 
as it would have been more convenient to have had 
it with us, in which case there would have been no 
attempt to examine any thing. 

The day was even worse than the preceding, and 
we were annoyed with an unceasing deluge. We 
dined at six o’clock, and arrived at Pestli about 


PESTH. 


61 


seven. Oil landing we were conducted to a large, 
clean inn, called the Queen of England. The 
rooms were good, but I never was in a more noisy 
place. Here we remained a day. 

Pesth, the capital of Hungary, is a large old 
town on one side of the Danube; Buda or Ofen 
being situated on the other. The latter has rather a 
desolate aspect; a large old castle stands on a height, 
and there is a background of mountains. A sus¬ 
pension-bridge is constructing between the two 
cities, the engineer being the same who built the 
one at Hammersmith. This, when finished, will be 
of indescribable advantage, for at present the only 
means of communication for the people is by boats. 

The streets of Pesth are large and wide, but un¬ 
paved ; this evil, however, seems in some places in 
the act of being remedied : indeed Pesth appears 
altogether to be an improving city. I observed 
many large houses building. The steam-navigation 
of the Danube has greatly increased the commerce, 
by affording the inhabitants means of exporting 
their corn, wines, and other merchandize. 

The costume of the Hungarian peasantry is sin- 


62 


HUNGARIAN PEASANTRY. 


gular. The long hair, large flap hat, and the fold¬ 
ing pelisse lined with sheepskin, strongly reminded 
me of Russia, and the little horses are harnessed 
abreast, as in that country. One long line of shops 
appears to be their Bond Street; and here, as in 
Vienna, the signs are very appropriate, and taste¬ 
fully painted. A watchmaker had decorated his 
shop by a large figure of Time, with an hour-glass. 
Near windows filled with velvet caps, embroidered 
in gold, hangs a full-length picture of a smart hus¬ 
sar, his charger richly caparisoned. A milliner is 
distinguished by a brilliant picture of the Em¬ 
press, or some archduchess, in full dress. These 
signs, which are particularly well painted, and very 
superior to any I ever saw elsewhere, give gaiety 
and splendour to the scene. The day was clear 
and fine, but the cold was so intense that I was 
soon obliged to come in-doors. I regretted not 
seeing the opposite city, but our stay being so 
short, it was impossible. The Hungarians are very 
proud of their Casino, or reading-rooms, which 
have been lately built on the plan, as they say, of 
an English club. 


63 


MO II AC Z. 

Sunday, the 18 th, at six o’clock in the morning, 
we left Pesth, and embarked in the Zryny steamer, 
of eiglity-horse power, so called after the famous 
Austrian general who fought against the Turks. 
The captain, an Italian, gave me up his cabin, a 
small one on deck, and I went to bed for some 
hours. The continual trembling and shaking of 
the vessel prevent the possibility of writing, and 
the whole existence on board a steamer is so weari¬ 
some and monotonous, that it creates a listless feel¬ 
ing of unwillingness to exert oneself. 

The weather was fine, and we discussed the pro¬ 
ject of leaving the boat at Rustschuk, and travel¬ 
ling by land to Constantinople, passing through 
Schumla and Adrianople. Some said it was feasible 
on horseback, as the couriers took that route, and 
the distance was not above three hundred miles; 
but all agreed that for a lady to cross the Balkan 
in a carriage would be difficult, if not impossible. 

The days being short, and there being no moon, 
we were obliged to anchor for that night at Mohacs ; 
and next morning, Monday, a heavy fall of rain be¬ 
gan, and continued all day. We started on Tues- 


64 


SEMLIN. 


day with the earliest dawn, but the thick mists 
and adverse winds delayed us greatly. We met 
the packet coming from Constantinople, and stop¬ 
ped ; the two vessels remaining about half an hour 
alongside for the interchange of letters, merchan¬ 
dize, &c. This was the only event of a long, dreary, 
cold, wet day, until we anchored at Neusatz, a 
wretched place, where no one was even inclined to 
go ashore. 

The objections to the deck-cabins, which coun¬ 
terbalance their merits of light and air, are their 
extreme cold, and the impossibility of keeping 
them dry. The wet poured in from the deck, and, 
though tarpaulins were nailed over the top, yet, 
despite every effort, the cold was intense and the 
damp extreme. 

Next day, Wednesday, at about twelve o’clock, 
we arrived at Semlin, and remained two hours 
while the passports were vises. This town is on 
the Austrian side of the frontier, and opposite to 
Belgrade, a Turkish fortress. Shortly after we 
had left the town, which still remained in sio*ht 

£5 J 

we unfortunately ran upon a sandbank, and were 


DRENCOVA. 


65 


delayed there for two hours, and no sooner was 
the vessel got off than we floundered on another, 
and much time was lost before the steamer was 
fairly in the right channel of the river. We were 
considerably annoyed by this delay, and by the 
rain, which continued for three days without a 
moment’s intermission. Every thing w 7 as com¬ 
pletely soaked, and, darkness coming on, we were 
obliged to anchor for the night. 

Next day, at two o’clock, after passing an old 
Turkish fortress called Semandria, we came to 
Drencova, where the boat ought to have arrived 
eighteen hours sooner. We had imagined there 
would here have been an inn and a town, and, at 
least for one night, the means of getting rest on 
shore, and a temporary escape from our cold, damp 
habitation on the Danube; but all these hopes were 
blighted on seeing this deplorable place. A swamp, 
on which stood a church, a barn, and two or three 
small huts, was all this station boasted; and to 
reach this in a deluge of rain, and knee-deep in 
mud, was not an inviting prospect. We therefore 
decided on remaining on board till next morning, 


66 


SCENERY OF THE DANUBE. 


when we were to embark for Orsova, a passage 
which can only be effected in boats, and requires 
daylight. 

Thursday , 22.— At an early hour, exactly a 
week after our departure from Vienna, the boats 
were rowed alongside the Zryny. A large one was 
filled with luggage, carriages, and merchandize ; a 
second took twenty-five passengers ; and lastly, 
one was reserved for us and our servants. The 
rain, as usual, fell incessantly. The boat had ten 
oars that were unequally used, and changed ac¬ 
cording to the steersman’s direction. There was 
also a sail when the wind was favourable, but 
sometimes it was entirely withdrawn, and at others 
the men rested on their oars, and we floated down 
the current. A small cabin, like a covered barcre, 
sheltered us from the pitiless rain. 

The scenery on each side the Danube is very 
grand, much more so than that of the Rhine ; still 
there is a sameness in this succession of crasrorv 
heights, and the eye wearies of the feathered rocks, 
wild and picturesque as they are, clad in au¬ 
tumnal colours. For miles and miles the same 


SINGULAR GROTTO. 


67 


scenery continues, and hardly a hut or the appear¬ 
ance of a habitation breaks the solitude of these 
shores. The woods are full of wild boars, bears, 
and stag’s. 

We passed a grotto or cave, said to be large 
enough to contain thirty thousand persons, and 
the captain pointed out to us Trajan’s table, a slab 
of marble with a Latin inscription. The old Ro¬ 
man road runs along the cliff that bounds the river 
side. We did not, however, land from our boats. 

This extremely capricious river winds along, 
sometimes becoming very narrow, at others swelling 
into wide channels, and ever rushing like an angry 
torrent. The boatmen were, in appearance, hardly 
human, so savage were their looks and attire, the 
latter consisting of black or white sheepskin wrap¬ 
ped round their persons, with caps of the same ma¬ 
terial. The captain, a gentlemanlike, intelligent 
man, told me that, when the steam-navigation first 
commenced, these poor people were in a state of 
absolute barbarism. One of them had his fingers 
covered with strange rings he had obtained from 
the Zingari, or gipsies, who abound in Wallachia. 

f 2 


68 


ORSOVA. 


He sold me one, and seemed enchanted with his 
bargain. 

The Hungarian flag floated at our stern, and I 
was struck with its peculiarity. It is the prettiest 
I ever saw, (although it be a tricolour,) green, red, 
and white. Our captain’s cloak was of the last 
colour, with the collar and cuffs of the two former 
mixed. 

A magnificent road has been made from Dren- 
cova to Orsova, and finished in a solid and perfect 
manner, with a wall along the edge of the river. 
The Austrian company deserve great credit for the 
efforts they have made, as far as they go; the un¬ 
dertaking is gigantic, but as yet in its infancy; 
much remains to be done; still, by energetic per¬ 
severance, it must ultimately succeed, and repay 
them ; and the commercial advantages to the coun¬ 
try, as well as the benefit it will be to the civiliza¬ 
tion of the people, are all too apparent to require 
a comment. 

At one o'clock we reached Orsova, which is on 
the Wallachian side of the Danube, and has no 
communication with the opposite or Turkish shore. 


ORSOVA. 


69 


W e were met by the agent of the company, who 
conducted us to a house where three or four little 
rooms were reserved for us, while the rest of the 
party repaired to some wretched inn. Quarantine 
is performed here, on returning from Constanti¬ 
nople, and there is a large Lazzaretto about a mile 
from the town. On an island opposite is a Turkish 
fortress. 

I walked down to the waterside, and witnessed a 
curious scene. A small place is railed in, where 
the Turks are permitted to land, and buy or sell, 
but they are not suffered to pass the enclosure, and 
even their money is passed over in water, with a 
view of arresting any infection of plague or fever. 
This scene had a strange aspect, interesting how¬ 
ever from its novelty. 

The weather at length relented and changed; 
the rain ceased, the sun came out, and all once 
more looked bright. The influence of weather on 
the spirits is admitted by all, old and young, and 
under all circumstances; but nowhere do rain and 
gloom dispirit and oppress as on board ship, and, 
above all, in a steam-vessel. 


70 


ORSOVA. 


After our week’s imprisonment, inhaling the 
baneful damp and poisonous mists of the Danube, 
we were delighted to find ourselves in a hut on 
land. For the first time in my life, I enjoyed a 
stove, which I in general dislike, finding that the 
extreme heat it throws out always causes headache. 

Next morning we left Orsova, and had a long 
walk to the shore, and of course were conducted 
by the most circuitous road. I often think Ger¬ 
mans have a pleasure in doing what is provoking, 
and, having succeeded, they relapse into their ori¬ 
ginal apathy, and sit puffing the smoke of their 
pipes into your face. 

The remainder of the party having rebelled at 
the wretched accommodation of the inn, where 
only two rooms could be procured, one for all the 
ladies, the other for the gentlemen, were conducted 
by the Austrian colonel to the house of the com¬ 
pany’s agent, and were there well lodged. 

I have not yet described this officer, against 
whom, from the first instant, I felt prejudiced. It 
is always difficult to account for one’s antipathies, 
though I believe they rarely occur without some 


ORSOYA. 


71 


cause. The ostensible motive of his journey to 
Constantinople was to instruct the Turks in the 
art of war. He was a shrewd, sharp, coarse, vul¬ 
gar, ugly man, speaking all languages, seeing and 
hearing every thing, with his pipe always in his 
mouth, and he appeared to have the talent of being 
everywhere at once. 

The miserable village of Orsova will probably 
rise to importance in future years. The baths of 
Mehadia are near, and the quarantine, added to its 
being a station where there must be a halt, will 
induce people to build and settle; indeed, a good 
many houses are already commenced. At present, 
however, it is dismal enough, and nothing can be 
worse managed than the whole matter. Arriving 

o O 

as we did at one o’clock on Thursday, we might 
have re-embarked immediately, or proceeded by 
land, but for the foolish and absurd arrangements 
which require that the boatmen or conducteurs 
going to Skela Gladova, a distance of two hours, 
should return to Orsova before sunset. A day is 
thus lost, and all the quarantine, however useful 
(if properly enforced), is now a complete farce and 


CUSTOM-HOUSE ANNOYANCES. 


absurdity ; so much communication unavoidably 
occurs, that it would be mere delusion to imagine 
there would be any safety if there were real infec¬ 
tion. 

Monsieur Tomisch, the agent, a very pompous 
person, was not there, but another person attended, 
and saw the passengers and luggage deposited in 
three boats as before, with this difference, that 
they were smaller, more grotesque and barbarous, 
than the former ones. A place with seats, in the 
middle of each boat, is covered at the top, but open 
on all sides. Four oars are used at one end, and 
two at the other. A strange, half-clothed savage 
squatted at the stern, and steered with a pole. A 
dirty, heavy, important old German sat at the other 
end, with an enormous pipe hooked on to his teeth, 
in the approved Vienna fashion, a place for a wire 
being bored or filed in the lower teeth. Thus these 
amateurs are enabled to pursue their favourite oc¬ 
cupation, even while eating or talking. 

This personage pretended to guide and direct 
every thing; but as he declared that the moon 
was at its full that day, the 23d, when the alma- 


WALLACE IAN VILLAGE. 


73 


liack announced a new one for the 25th, it was 
evident that his ignorance was on a par with his 
self-importance. 

After passing the Turkish fort on a little island 
called Old Orsova, where for the first time we 
beheld the red flag with the crescent, the river 
became like the troubled ocean, a kind of boilin^ 
caldron of small broken waves—an angry, growl¬ 
ing, short sea; and this was denominated la porte 
defor ,or de VEnfer. The stream seemed landlocked, 
owing to its windings, and the high, wooded moun¬ 
tains that closed around. But with all my love of 
the marvellous, (especially when I tell the tale 
myself,) I own the reality was nothing to what I 
had anticipated from Mr. Slade’s account, and I 
have often been more alarmed in a small boat on 
a rough sea. Safety, however, certainly depends 
on skilful steering, for the slightest touch of the 
rocks would upset the boat, and then the best 
swimmer could have no chance of escape, so strong 
is the current among these rapids. 

We passed a Wallachian village, if a few mise¬ 
rable huts can be so called, for such barbarous 


74 


SKELA GLADOVA. 


and squalid misery I never beheld. The scenery 
changed, and the banks of the river became flat. A 
large magazine of wood, and a great fishery, were 
pointed out. Sturgeon is caught in the Danube, 
also the sterling , which is much esteemed. The 
Wallachians shoot the bears, boars, and wolves, 
with which the woods abound, but the Servians 
never attempt to destroy them. 

At the end of two hours, Skela Gladova was in 
sight. On the swampy shore were a barn and a 
hut, and close at hand lay the Pannonia, a wretched 
little steamer, of thirty-six horse power. She 
saluted, the colours were hoisted, and I wished to 
embark directly from the boats, but, as usual, 
these obstinate people would manage in their own 
way, and that of course was the most disagreeable 
and inconvenient. They therefore deposited us 
and our luggage on shore, on a piece of neutral 
ground; the boxes, trunks, &c. were then picked 
up and carried into the steamer, by a tribe of 
wild-looking barbarians, consisting of Wallachs, 
Servians, and Turks;'and the captain, an Italian, 
was conducting me on board, when he chanced to 


TROUBLES OF STEAMING. 


to 


look round, and seeing the other passengers, and, 
farther behind, the luggage-boat with the carriages, 
he exclaimed, 

“ Ah, per Dio, e troppo !” 

The agent at Orsova not having informed him 
of what was coming, he had already four carriages 
on board; there was no room left for another, and 
none could be unshipped without unloading all the 
merchandize, which was piled up to half the height 
of the engine. In this dilemma he ordered a large 
boat to be attached, in which our carriage was 
placed, and also a tilbury from England, going out 
for Achmet Pacha. 

By this time all the passengers had arrived, and 
among the rest the Turkish doctor, carrying a box 
of pineapples for the sultan’s sister, who was a 
bride. He said he watched the case like the 
apple of his eye. Emir Pacha also appeared with 
his usual sang froid , never seeming hurried, or 
discomposed. 

And now how shall I describe the Pannonia 
steamer? In what words can I convey an idea 
of all its horrors? It was very small, old, and ill 


TIIE PANNONIA STEAMER. 


76 

contrived, and blacker than any collier. Years 
had not seen the decks washed but by the rain, 
and the uneven boards were ancle-deep in mud 
and filth. Cinders fell on all sides ; heaps of coals, 
piles of luggage, and pyramids of merchandize, stuffed 
up every corner of the deck, where there was not 
a pathway for a dog to thread his way. This 
wretched little vessel had been twenty years on 
the station, and apparently all that time collecting 
its deposit of dirt. There is, however, a point of 
dirtiness which nothing can pass, and this, I think 
the Pannonia must have reached, for never was 
such a place seen, and I doubt if any abode 
destined for pigs could be worse. 

The answer to all complaints and remonstrances 
as to the discomfort of the navigation is, that the 
enterprise is yet in its infancy. But really, after 
enduring all the miseries of damp, dirt, delay, 
confinement, and mismanagement, this was a trial 
not to be patiently endured; and be it remem¬ 
bered that I, who describe the state of the Pan¬ 
nonia, never saw its lower regions, which I am 
told surpassed in abominations all the rest. Here 


THE PANNONIA STEAMER. 


77 


forty passengers were stowed in a place where 
twelve would have been badly off. Jews, Turks, 
and Christians were packed into the cabins, or 
rather holes, like herrings in a barrel. Cigars, 
with their attendant nuisances, were not wanting ; 
bugs, fleas, and vermin abounded; in short, the 
horrors of this abode defy all description. 

Necessary evils must be borne; but much of 
these might be avoided. Covered boats might be 
had, for crossing the rapids; a fine iron steamer, 
of one hundred horse-power, drawing little water, 
should be established, for the Danube is deep 
enough to admit of one. Passengers should be pro¬ 
perly accommodated, and the merchandize sent 
by different vessels. These discomforts are prin¬ 
cipally owing to mismanagement and mistaken 
economy. 

On arriving on board the Pannonia, I asked to 
be shown my cabin. 

“ Mais, madame, il n’y en a pas, mais je me 
ferai un plaisir de vous ceder le mien.” 

I said that a private one had been bespoken 
and paid for three weeks before, at Vienna, and 


78 


WRETCHED ACCOMMODATION. 


therefore I must have one; upon which I was 
shown a den, full of the dirty captain’s dirtier 
things. It was on deck, over the paddle-box, 
and close to the engine, and was more like a 
wooden box or dog-kennel than any thing else ; 
the only difference a well-bred English mastiff 
would have found between it and his home was, 
that it was much more filthy, and perhaps a little 
larger. A similar hole, appertaining to the en¬ 
gineer, was yielded to Lord L., and here we were 
expected to pass five days. 

Our sufferings, however, were not yet complete. 
The beautiful day gave us hopes that the weather 
would settle favourably for us, and a bright sun and 
blue sky afforded us courage to bear a great deal. 
We had not, however, passed twelve hours in our 
new abode when the deluge recommenced; tor¬ 
rents of rain fell, and soaked every thing; our 
only consolation, as the water poured into my 
wretched cabin, was the hope that it might drown 
the fleas; but even of this comfort we were de¬ 
prived by the dirty Wallachs, who, in mopping up 
the rain, probably brought in more. 


THE CARPATHIAN MOUNTAINS. 


79 


We passed by the Carpathian mountains, covered 
with snow, and next day, Saturday, 24th, we were 
buoyed up in the tedious hours which were 
dragged through, by the hope of finding our¬ 
selves at Rutschuk early. But we were doomed 
to be disappointed. We anchored at sunset, 
owing to the captain’s fears of sand-banks, and 
all retired to rest, in anxious expectation of the 
morrow. 

I spent a miserable night; the cold and thick 
fog seemed to penetrate my wretched abode, and 
I felt as if I inhaled fever and imbibed poison ; 
mental anxiety mingling with bodily suffering. 

Next morning we found ourselves, as the 
Turkish doctor termed it, “ assis sur un banc 
de sable.” After three or four hours spent in 
knocking, thumping, casting out, and weighing 
anchors, we were for a moment clear, but the 
next moment we floundered again. The last 
“ fix” was worse than the first, and it was one 
o’clock before we were fairly off, and the vessel 
went ahead. Certainly fortune frowned upon this 
expedition. Had we sailed by the preceding, or 


80 


GIURGIVO. 


waited for the next steamer, we should have had 
the moon, an invaluable assistance at all times, 
and here more than anywhere. Our vessel also 
kept the Wallachian shore, while the other side, 
which is taken in the alternate voyages, would 
have been more interesting, and, in our case, more 
convenient. The dreadful weather also multiplied 
all our ills. 

I find in that useful handbook of Murray’s, 
which, as far as my experience and observation 
go, is usually correct, that two or three days 
ought to suffice for the passage to Galatz in sum¬ 
mer, and four in winter. We, alas, came on 
board the Pannonia on Friday the 23rd, and not 
till Monday the 26tli did we reach Rutschuk, 
which is but half the distance. I must correct 
myself, for the steamer did not stop there, it 
being on the Servian side, but at Giurgivo, oppo¬ 
site, on the Wallachian coast. 

This place is only seven hours from Bucharest, 
the capital of the province, which is governed by 
the Hospodar, or hereditary Prince, appointed 
by the Porte. Jassy is the capital of Moldavia. 


GIURGIVO. 


8i 


These provinces were formerly tributary to the 
Sultan, but since the war they are nominally pro¬ 
tected by Russia, a significant term, importing 
that they will soon belong to her. 

At length we arrived at Giurgivo, and our 
miserable little steamer fired her cannon with as 
much pretension as if she had been a seventy-four 
gun ship. It was rather absurd in this wretched 
habitation to see the display of the flags of Eng¬ 
land and Turkey, and all this mockery of national 
colours. A more dismal place than Giurgivo 
cannot well be imagined. From the ceaseless tor¬ 
rents of rain the whole place was a swamp, and 
two open barns for merchandize were the only 
buildings in sight. 

The agent for the company, M. Stunde, was 
in attendance, and we found him a very obliging, 
intelligent man. We gave him our letters, un¬ 
folded our plans, and told him of our project of 
crossing the Balkan. This he at once discounte- 
nanced, saying it was impracticable for a lady. 
He informed us that there were neither roads nor 
houses, but small huts, “ ou le pere, la mere, les 

G 


82 


CROSSING THE BALKAN. 


enfants, et les bestiaux” lived together, and where 
no traveller could sleep ; that neither meat, bread, 
nor any thing but eggs, were to be got; that all 
which could form a caravan must be taken with 
us, and that the loss of time and the expense were 
incalculable. Finally, he said that “ un milord 
Anglais” had performed the journey in summer, 
and spent eight weeks on the roads, for that the 
horses were “ de mauvais petits animaux, grands 
comme des chiens, mourants sur la route.” 

We then asked if we could reach Varna by land, 
and be picked up by the steamer there, as she 
passed to Constantinople. This he assured us was 
equally difficult, if not impossible, to accomplish 
in the time, and we were therefore compelled to 
abide our fate in the Pannonia. The agent very 
civilly offered us two rooms in his house ; and, too 
happy to be warm and dry on shore for a few 
hours, we accepted his hospitality. A wretched 
carriage, with two little wild horses, and driven 
by a savage-looking being, conveyed us rapidly 
over the three miles to the village. There was no 
road, no cultivation : on all sides we beheld utter 


HOSPITALITY. 


83 


waste and misery ; thistles were the sole crop, and 
human bones lay unburied. 

On arriving, we took possession of our little 
rooms and a small kitchen, and, having brought 
every thing with us, prepared for our supper and 
a night’s rest. I cannot say we were comfort¬ 
able; bugs and fleas abounded, the smoke was 
suffocating, and the heat of the stoves intense. 
Still it was comparative luxury to be out of the 
confinement and damp of the Pannonia. 

Next morning we were obliged to be up at five, 
and make all haste to return on board again, the 
Austrian colonel having declared that, if the pas¬ 
sengers were not ready at six, the vessel must 
proceed without them. This would not have had 
the effect of hurrying me, for I knew that he 
dared not, even if he had the power, put his threat 
into execution; but, first, we were unwilling to 
make anybody wait; and, secondly, we were 
ourselves most anxious to get on, and avoid fur¬ 
ther delay. 

Baron Taubenheim left us to proceed on horses, 
with his three young companions, of whom one 

G 2 


84 


SILISTRIA. 


was a doctor and poet, another a naturalist, and 
the third a painter, who had already done some 
clever sketches and likenesses of the passengers. 
They persuaded Mr. Napier, an Englishman going 
to Constantinople, to accompany them, and were 
to be guided by circumstances, whether they 
should cross the Balkan, or meet us again at 
Varna, by another line. The French milliner was 
also left here, to proceed to Bucharest with her 
fashions. Much of the merchandize was also left; 
the second boat was cast off, our carriage placed 
on deck, and thus, being lighter, we advanced 
with greater rapidity. 

The river here is about three miles wide, and, 
on account of the strong current, two hours and 
a half are required to cross it. I found the lady 
who was going to Galatz to marry the consul had, 
by some mistake, unfortunately left her cases and 
bridal attire at Drencova. She and her brother, 
a gentlemanlike young hussar, were not to be con¬ 
soled for this misfortune. 

We passed by Silistria, the capital of Bulgaria. 
The sun set in a fiery sky, but still the evening was 


BRAILA. 


85 


lovely. At ten o’clock, however, our hopes were 
again blighted, for the rain recommenced more 
violently than ever; it inundated the whole deck, 
and poured into my cabin. After all the prophe¬ 
cies of fine weather, all the calculations by the 
moon, all the captain’s assurances that the air was 
“ purificato” we really were in despair, for there 
seemed every prospect of a gale. The river was 
like a rough sea, the wind high, and right in our 
teeth. 

After a night of suffering, when, at length, 

Day broke dreary on my troubled view, 

a more dismal scene was never beheld. The poor 
pacha sent a humble prayer to me for eau-de- 
cologne and perfume to relieve his headache. He 
looked pale as ashes, and I gave him also aromatic 
salts, for which he was most grateful. The old in¬ 
valid lady begged for snuff and physic; and having- 
administered to their various wants, I passed the 
day, as I best could, in reading and complaining, 
till we reached Braila at one o'clock. 

It was dark, but we could perceive that it 


86 


THE AUSTRIAN CONSUL. 


seemed a wretched spot; and, like all these halt¬ 
ing’ places, consisted of merely a barn or two, built 
on a swamp. Here we left a considerable quantity 
of merchandize, and another hour brought us to 
Galatz, where the steamer from Constantinople had 
not arrived. The Austrian consul, a very smart 
young man, immediately rushed on board to meet 
his bride. The river was so low that the vessel 
could not approach the shore ; but a rough bridge 
was soon constructed by the Wallachs, and the 
only difficulty now seemed to be how to find a 
lodging. This was pronounced impossible. The 
governor of the town sent word that a house should 
be found next day; but, all impatient as we were 
to escape from the steamer, in which we had now 
been confined six days, this appeared too long to 
wait. The English vice-consul, Mr. Cunningham, 
offered us two rooms, but as they were full of sick 
people, we declined them. The inn was only such 
by name, being nothing more than a hut. The 
Austrian consul most kindly placed his house at 
our disposition; but, knowing his situation, we were 
unwilling to accept his offer, although he pressed 


WALLA.CHI AN HOSPITALITY. 


87 


us, saying, “ Ma fiancee ne peut pas etre cliez moi, 
parceque nous lie sonimes pas encore maries.” 

The only person who could have lodged us, would 
not—namely, the agent of the Austrian company, 
a sulky, ill-conditioned old man, with a fox-like 
expression of countenance. He had a good house, 
but excused himself on the plea that his family 
was absent. On seeing Prince Metternich’s order, 
however, he with a bad grace submitted, and con¬ 
sented to give us three rooms, on condition that 
we should bring every thing, and call on him for 
nothing. 

While these negociations went on, a very civil 
message arrived from the major in command of the 
regiment quartered at Galatz, begging us to come 
to his house. Accordingly, we got into a primitive 
sort of vehicle, and were driven with great rapi¬ 
dity in the dark, up hill and down dale, over un¬ 
even ground ; and, after twenty minutes’ shaking, 
we arrived at our destination, and were conducted 
up a ladder, by a young man in a fine uniform. 
Here we were received, and shown the two rooms 
destined for us, by a very handsome and distin- 


88 


MOLDAVIAN WOMAN. 


guished-looking woman, the major’s wile. She 
told me she was an Italian, but that her mother 
was a German ; that she had relations in every 
part of the world, a sister in America, cousins at 
Paris, and a brother at Vienna; that she was here 
eight months “ en garnison,” but that she and her 
husband generally resided at Jassy, the capital. 
She begged me to make myself perfectly at home, 
assuring me she was quite accustomed to receive 
strangers, for, as there were no inns, she always 
offered hospitality. She then left us, desiring us 
to ask for whatever we wanted. 

Soon afterwards, a Moldavian woman came in 
and burned perfumes. Her dress was poor, but 
national and becoming. A handkerchief was tied 
round her head like a turban, but knotted in front ; 
long hanging plaits fell upon her shoulders; and 
she wore a catzaveka , or jacket, with loose sleeves 
lined with fur. I found I was never to be left alone 
for five minutes, for this woman and a Wallachian 
boy only went out to return. I could not fasten 
the door, and at last these perpetual invasions be¬ 
came very troublesome; and particularly next morn- 


WALL AC III AN BALL. 


89 


ing, while I lay writing in bed, a child of six years 
old walked in. I waited to see what the little 
creature wanted, for all the other visits had been 
under the pretence of fetching something out of the 
various drawers : but when at length the child 
seated itself, and there remained staring at me, 
this was not to be borne, and I was obliged to send 
a petition to the lady of the house, praying her to 
order that I might be left to myself. 

Thursday and Friday were spent in anxiously 
watching for the arrival of the steamer, which was 
so unaccountably delayed. We talked over the land 
journey, but found little encouragement to under¬ 
take it, the loss of time and the difficulties attend¬ 
ing it rendering it almost impossible. 

A ball was given for us, under the governor’s di¬ 
rection, by Monsieur Negrepont, a rich merchant. 
The most curious thing was the band of music that 
played alternately with the military band. It was 
composed of Zingari, or gipsies, and, considering the 
grotesque instruments they used, and that they 
never had learnt a note of music, I was surprised 


90 


GALATZ. 


at hearing how well they played a mazourka , which 
was danced with great spirit. 

On Saturday morning, to our great joy, the 
steamer appeared. She went on to Braila, to leave 
and take in merchandize, and returned on Sunday, 
November 1st, and we were requested to be on 
board that night, in order to sail early next morn¬ 
ing. A more wretched spot than Galatz can hardly 
be imagined. Not a street is paved, the whole 
place is a swamp filled with ruts, and the people 
are, apparently, absolute barbarians. The old 
town consists of mere mud huts, and a large plain 
or encampment, covered with little carts laden 
with corn, and drawn by oxen. But the trade and 
commerce are increasing, and a new town is rising- 
on a height, where the consuls have their houses. 
Even this, however, is very miserable, and it will 
be long ere this place can wear a habitable or civi¬ 
lized appearance. 

The steamer on arriving is put into quarantine, 
and no one is permitted to return after having once 
been on board. We sent all our baggage in the 


THE FERDINAND STEAMER. 


91 


afternoon, and at eight o’clock went down to the 
shore, accompanied by our host and hostess. The 
military hand and guards with torches accompa¬ 
nied us, forming a strange and picturesque scene. 
On stepping out of the carriage, the barriers opened 
and let us through, closing against the rest of the 
party. 

Here I found the captain of the Ferdinand 
steamer, who begged to escort me to my cabin, 
which, this time, was below, and really very clean— 
comfortable would be too strong a term; the bad 
smell and want of air being always severely felt. 
However, I composed myself for the night, and 
slept soundly till six o’clock next morning, when 
cannon were fired, announcing our departure. I 
never went on deck, nor, indeed, left my cabin, ex¬ 
pecting we should put to sea about three or four 
o’clock. We were, however, above ten hours in 
reaching the Sulinoh point, or mouth of the Danube; 
and, after some delay, a pilot was found, who 
declared it w T as impossible to cross the bar, as the 
sea was running mountains high, and the wind right 
in our teeth. 


92 


CROSSING TIIE BAR. 


The Russians have contrived to establish them¬ 
selves here; and the commandant came on board 
and gave a deplorable account of the place, as a 
most unwholesome swamp. He said a great number 
of vessels had been some days detained in conse¬ 
quence of the bad weather, and that all those that 
had tried to cross had returned. This intelligence 
w r as most discouraging, and we went to bed, feeling 
very sad while we reflected on the cheerless pro¬ 
spect before us. 

Next morning at six o’clock the captain deter¬ 
mined to make the attempt to cross the bar; and 
it was attended with success, but not till a violent 
crash had alarmed us all, and on inquiring we found 
one of the paddle-boxes had been carried away by a 
sailing vessel. Once out, we were favoured with a 
fair wind and a calm sea; and, having persuaded the 
captain not to go to Varna or to Kustandje, where 
the plague had broken out, we steered for Constan¬ 
tinople, and entered the Bosphorus about two 
o’clock on Wednesday, three weeks after our de¬ 
parture from Vienna : a most trying time, and cer¬ 
tainly not a journey that I should like to repeat. 


ARRIVAL AT CONSTANTINOPLE. 


93 


But we forgot all our troubles on arriving at our 
destination, and every one hastened on deck, eager 
to view a scene they had suffered so much trouble 
and inconvenience to reach. The day was clear and 
fine, though bleak and cold. The scenery is very 
beautiful, but the coup cPceil I own disappointed me. 
We stopped opposite Tarapia, and waited in the 
first instance for the quarantine boat, which, after 
giving us pratique and pulling off, returned to in¬ 
quire whence we came. We next waited for Count 
Konigswert’s boat, which came alongside, hoisting 
the white flag and black eagle of Prussia. In this 
the poor old baroness was placed, with her maid 
and her “ trunks;” and we proceeded to Constanti¬ 
nople, where, finding our friends with their yachts 
anxiously expecting us, we were delighted to 
escape from the imprisonment of the Ferdinand 
steamer, and go and dine on board the Dream, 
leaving our servants and baggage to get settled in 
a house taken for us by the banker, at the top of a 
hill in Pera. 






CHAPTER IV. 

First impressions of Constantinople—Golden Horn—Seraglio 
Point — Galata — Inconveniences of Constantinople—Pera—To- 
phana — Bazaar—Various costumes —Arabas—The Hyde Park 
of Constantinople—Female costumes—Visit to the interior of a 
harem—Rescind Pacha—His wives and family—Madame Fran- 
chini —Turkish women—Singular scene — Female buffoon— 
Harem of the Seraskier—A beautiful Odalisque—Tomb of Sultan 
Mahmoud — Hippodrome—A Turkish dinner—Circassian slaves 
—The favourite slave — Children—Turkish cookery — A Greek 
lady—After dinner ceremonies—Turkish singing—Greek slaves 
—Tarapia—Sea of Marmora—The Sweet Waters—Buyukdere 
—The Sultan’s Valley — Extraordinary tree—Arms’ bazaar — 
Scutari. 





FIRST IMPRESSIONS. 



CHAPTER IV. 

Constantinople , Nov. 4.—Our arrival at the City 
of the Sultan, the Queen of the East, imperial Stam- 
boul, was, unfortunately, on a cold bleak day, with 
a north-east wind, which always gives a dreary 
colouring to the scene around. No place is more 
dependent on fine weather than Constantinople. It 
requires sunshine to beautify and light it up. We 
came, too, with overwrought expectations. After 
reading Miss Pardoe’s descriptions, and gazing on 
the lovely prints and drawings of Constantinople, 
“ on se fait un beau ideal,” that can hardly be re¬ 
alised, for in truth one is taught to expect a fairy 
land. 

To begin, the mountains are mere hills, and their 
appearance is neither grand nor sublime. The 
wretched wood and whitewashed brick buildings 


H 


98 


THE GOLDEN HORN. 


are without proportion, symmetry, or regular archi¬ 
tecture, at least, not what we are accustomed to 
consider as such—and when examined in detail are 
quite unworthy of notice. I expected to find the rich 
variety of form and colour which is to be seen in the 
domes and cupolas of Moscow; but here was neither 
gilding nor variegated hue: the buildings were one 
glaring mass of whitewash. Still the scene, as a 
whole, is undeniably beautiful; the enormous size, 
the prodigious masses of buildings, strike the 
stranger, who asks if it be not the largest city in 
the world, forgetting what London or Paris would 
be if taken in at one view, and presented before his 
eyes like a panorama. 

The Golden Horn is a kind of bay, surrounded by 
hills, which are covered with buildings, domes, and 
minarets, down to the water’s edge. The Seraglio 
Point, the dark tall cypresses, the delicious colour¬ 
ing of an eastern sky, with the stir and gaiety of 
vessels of all sorts, steamers, traders, yachts, and 
myriads of graceful little caiques, all these, on a 
bright sunny day, form a scene beyond descrip¬ 
tion enchanting. 


AMBASSADORS. 


99 


All Christians are denominated Franks, and 
none are allowed to reside in Constantinople; their 
principal residence is Pera, which is connected with 
Galata, and on the opposite side. It is therefore ne¬ 
cessary to descend the hill, and cross the water, and 
make a circuitous journey to arrive at Constanti¬ 
nople, where the bazaar, mosques, &c., are situated. 

The Austrian ambassador, Baron de Stunner, 
lives at Pera, in a charming house, with a beautiful 
garden, commanding a fine view of the Bosphorus; 
but the approach is down a long, narrow, craggy 
lane, where scarcely carriage or horse can go, and I 
could only reach it on foot, or in the evening, when 
the baroness kindly sent me her sedan-chair, 
porters, &c. A fine palace is building for the Rus- 
si an ambassador, so large and magnificent that 
ill-natured people pretend it is to be the residence 

V/ ' J , 

of the emperor, when, in future time, he shall take 
possession of Constantinople. Here also the English 
government should build a palace to replace the 
one that was burnt; but Lord Ponsonby prefers 
residing at Tarapia, that he may remain secluded 
and undisturbed. This arrangement is particularly 

ii 2 


• - ) 


100 


ARABAS. 

inconvenient to ail who may have to transact busi¬ 
ness at the embassy. 

One of the greatest drawbacks to a residence 
here, is the difficulty of getting about; in fact, it 
almost amounts to an impossibility: the narrow 
streets and steep, stony ascents are not calculated 
for any English carriage, and the jolting threatens 
dislocation of the bones. The carriages of the 
country are wretched vehicles, light enough to be 
lifted out of the way when necessary. I tried an 

araba , a sort of covered carriage, open at the sides, 

% 

with curtains and a mattress, but without steps or 
springs. Into this you climb, and lie down, but I 
found it perfectly intolerable. It is, however, the 
sole vehicle used by the ladies, and sometimes four 
or five pack in, while occasionally an indolent 
beauty reclines in solitude. 

After the terrible descent from Pera to Tophana 
quay, from whence you cross the Golden Horn and 
land at Constantinople, a high hill is to be as¬ 
cended, and for this purpose horses must be found. 
All this, however, requires time ; an English side¬ 
saddle must be procured, as well as guards, or 


TURKISH BAZAAR. 


101 


kewasses, armed with pistols and swords,whose busi¬ 
ness it is to clear the way, and keep off the crowd ; 
an interpreter is likewise indispensable. There is 
a large tribe of vagabonds who fulfil the latter 
office, and speak a little bad Italian and worse 
French. The strange, uncouth figures, and the 
varied costumes around, occupy the attention until 
the bazaar is reached, where a new and interesting 
scene awaits the traveller. 

The bazaar is of vast extent, and like a 
covered town, but there is no display, except in 
the alley for slippers, &c. Here a long range of 
embroidery and gay colours extends on each side, 
but the rest is dull and sombre. Then the dirt 
and the want of air and light, and the terrible 
pavement (if the uneven stones deserve the name), 
render walking painful, and riding dangerous. The 
furs appeared to me very inferior. I had expected 
to find magnificent sables, but 1 saw only piles of 
fox and wolf-skins. It is, moreover, very difficult 
to make these Turkish shopkeepers exhibit any 
thing. They pull your sleeve, and arrest you with 
the greatest eagerness; but, when once they have 


102 


VARIOUS COSTUMES. 


fixed your attention, and made you stop, they will 
merely show what happens to be put out, and it 
is only when you are going away displeased, that 
they produce any thing likely to suit or meet your 
views; and they ask double and sometimes treble 
the value of their merchandize. 

It is curious to see these odd quiet people 
crouching in the corners of their little low shop- 
boards ; the Armenians, with caps like great round 
towers, or black drums; the Turks, with their 
huge rolled turbans; the Persians, with their high 
conical cap of black lamb-skin — the fez — the 
caftan , &c. The absence of all European remini¬ 
scences, in the midst of this strange and novel 
scene, strikes the mind very much. But it is sur¬ 
prise and astonishment that occupy you, rather 
than admiration; and, indeed, nothing can be 
more curious than these bazaars. The extremes of 
poverty and magnificence, of refinement and bar¬ 
barism, the mingled costumes, the noise, confu¬ 
sion, and variety of the whole, form a scene totally 
different from any thing elsewhere to be found. 

Although the pavement is hardly passable for 


FEMALE COSTUMES. 


103 


man or beast, yet here and there arabas come 
shaking down, and a jewelled hand, with henna- 
tipped fingers, is seen drawing aside the curtain, 
while the veiled beauty peeps through her yash- 
mac, and gazes on the unusual sight of a European 
or Frank woman on horseback, with uncovered 
face. 

Near the bazaar is the Bajazet-Meidan , the 
Hyde Park of Constantinople, where at about four 
o’clock, during the Ramazan, or month of fast, 
crowds assemble to gaze at the ladies, who, cer¬ 
tainly, in their feridjee , or folding mantle, and 
their yashmac , or veil, which covers all but the 
eyes, look more or less alike. Habit is second 
nature, but this fashion would amount to suffoca¬ 
tion to any one unaccustomed to it, the mouth and 
nostrils being entirely tied up. The eyes gene¬ 
rally appear large, dark, and lustrous, but the 
skin is of a dead, unhealthy white; and this I 
heard attributed to the inordinate use of the bath. 

I was very desirous to penetrate into the inte¬ 
rior of the harems ; and Lord L. having had his au¬ 
dience of the ministers, the grand vizier, or prime 


104 


VISIT TO A IIAREM. 


minister, the seraskier, or commander-in-chief, 
&c., the following permission to visit Madame 
Rescind was sent me :— 

“ Rescind Pacha a Fhonneur de presenter ses 
hommages a Madame la Marquise de Londonderry, 
et de l’informer en reponse au billet qu’elle a bien 
voulu lui adresser, que sa voiture sera prete a re- 
cevoir Madame la Marquise demain vers huit 
heures du soil’, a la porte de son hotel meme. 

“Constantinople, le 11 Novembre, 1840.” 

The difficulty of finding a companion who could 
speak Turkish, and act as interpreter, being re¬ 
moved by Madame Franchini, (the widow of the 
late first Russian dragoman,) having consented to 
accompany me, I set out on Thursday evening at 
eight o’clock. I had accepted the Pacha’s kind 
offer of his carriage, and was not very well pleased 
to find it was a high open phaeton; however, 
there was no remedy, for it was too late to change, 
and, besides, our own carriage was too large for 
the narrow streets; so Madame Franchini and 


VISIT TO A HAREM. 


105 


I packed in as we best could, and started, preceded 
by our two keewasses, whose business it was (as I 
have before said) to be always in attendance, to 
keep off the crowd of true believers that fill the 
streets. Two other men carried large flambeaux, 
and an officer of the Pacha rode by the carriage. 

We proceeded at a foot’s pace, jolting over the 
pavement, descended the hill, and wound round 
through the great burial-ground, where the tall 
cypresses and white turbaned stones looked more 
sad and mournful by the pale moonlight than in 
the gaudy glare of dav, as I had hitherto seen 
them. We crossed the bridge, which is nearly 
three quarters of a mile in length, and constructed 
on moored boats. The plan of it was given by a 
French architect, but these people take the credit 
of it, because they carried it into execution. It 
has been finished two years, and must be of great 
advantage to the city, being the only connexion 
and communication between Pera and Galata on 
the one side, and Constantinople on the other, ex¬ 
cept by water. 

It was the Ramazan, or fast; and during this 


106 


VISIT TO A IIAREM. 


period the national religion forbids their smoking’, 
eating, or drinking by day, and, therefore, their 
gaiety and enjoyment begin only at sunset. I was 
much struck, during my long and uncomfortable 
drive, with the curious scene around me. The 
Bosphorus lay like a sheet of glass, on which the 
moon displayed the enormous mass of shipping. 
The bridge, the mosques, the minarets, and some 
of the great buildings were illuminated ; myriads 
of paper lanterns, of all colours and sizes, were 
carried about; and between them and the great 
flambeaux, I could observe groups of Turks squat¬ 
ting in crowds round their caffinets , with their 
long pipes, and their little tables with coffee and 
sherbet. The streets were full, and there was 
great noise and rejoicing, but at the same time 
perfect order, and, as our way was cleared, the 
people fell slowly back, and gazed earnestly, but 
in silence. 

At last we arrived at the entrance of the harem, 
where we alighted. The door was quietly opened 
by an invisible hand from behind, and, when closed 
upon us, some slaves appeared, and at the bottom 


VISIT TO A 1IA11EM. 


107 


of the stairs stood Madame Rescind. Her husband 
has travelled a great deal and made some stay 
in England; and, from mixing with Franks, has 
acquired many of their habits, and in manners is 
quite a European. In his harem there are se¬ 
veral slaves, but he has only one wife, who, being 
the mother of his five sons, is much considered 
and respected. Her eyes are dark and fine, and 
she must have been handsome, but is now no 
longer young; and, wearing no stays, and being 
very large, her figure is most extraordinary. Her 
costume was frightful. It consisted of long striped 
loose trousers, a brown jacket, and the antery 
trailing like a tail after her. The whole dress 
was of cotton ; and a dark handkerchief on her 
head, with a feather stuck over one ear, and a 
flower over the other, completed her attire. 

The stairs were covered with the finest mats, 
and at the top we found Rescind Pacha, who by 
some mistake had expected me at the other en¬ 
trance. He conducted me to a room covered with 
English carpets, and lighted up with wax-candles. 
In the middle was a large bright brass brasier, and 


108 


RESCHID PACIIA. 


round the sides ran a hmh divan of cushions, 
covered with magnificent cloth of gold, and deep 
gold fringe. I was placed on a low ottoman in 
the centre of the room, near the khanoun , or mis¬ 
tress of the house; and Reschid seated himself 
on some cushions opposite Madame Franchini, and 
the slaves standing at the bottom of the room near 
the door. Reschid presented his sons to me one 
by one, inquired after my precious health, and 
after Lord L.’s ; asked how I liked Constantinople, 
and what I had seen ; wished to know how many 
children I had, &c. He speaks French perfectly, 
but, like all Turks, is slow, grave, and solemn. 

Reschid soon retired, saying that he prevented 
the other ladies from coming in, and immediately 
there was a rush, and half a dozen women ap¬ 
peared, and squatted down on the ground. Much 
civility passed between them and the khanoun , who 
requested them to occupy seats, which they de¬ 
clined. Sweetmeats were handed to me, which 
I tasted, and was very glad to swallow a glass of 
cold water afterwards. Coffee was then brought 
in cups, not bigger than a thimble, placed in a 


TURKISH CURIOSITY. 


109 


little jewelled bolder; a slave, (the jester, or buf¬ 
foon,) then ran in, and deposited herself at my feet. 
They asked me various questions, among others 
how long I had been married ? I replied, so long, 
I could not tell. They then made me some com¬ 
pliments, and inquired if I had travelled much, 
and how long it had taken me to come from 
England. When I said two months, their horror 
and pity knew no bounds. They asked me what 
I did to my skin to prevent the sun burning it; 
they requested to look at my jewels, and all 
gathered round me; the jester tried them in her 
head-dress, which produced peals of laughter. They 
then felt my clothes; and at length Madame 
Reschid, finding something hard under my gown, 
made signs of wishing to see it. Accordingly my 
watch was drawn out, to their infinite amusement. 

By this time I counted above twenty women, 
some crouching on the floor, some sitting, others 
standing, and all chattering, gazing, and asking 
questions. I was amazed to observe among these 
women an absence of all pretensions to good looks; 
they were plain, dirty, shapeless, and, I might 


110 


SINGULAR SCENE. 

almost add, disgusting. All their dresses were of 
cotton; some had jackets trimmed with fur; and 
one enormous woman, who evidently considered 
herself a beauty, wore nothing but transparent 
muslin to her waist. 

Two slaves near the door sung, or rather howled, 
while another played on the tambourine. I was 
then led into the adjoining room, a sort of hall, 
covered with the finest mats, and from thence con¬ 
ducted to the bath, the cooling-room, and the mar¬ 
ble fountain, with the two sources for hot and cold 
water. The excessive heat made me pant, which 
amused them extremely ; they all ran and waddled 
about, with their long tails training after them, 
and without shoes or slippers; and, having shown 
me the house, which is quite new, and very hand¬ 
some, they conducted me to a raised step at the 
top of the hall, and the slaves sung, and were be¬ 
ginning to dance, when a sudden whisper and vio¬ 
lent bustling about announced the return of Reschid 
Pacha. 

The neighbours immediately took flight and dis¬ 
appeared, it being forbidden that a strange man 


RESCHID’S HOUSEHOLD. 


Ill 


should see their faces. The slaves and Reschid’s 
own household remained at the farther end of the 
hall, and he took a chair near his wife, Madame 
Franchini, and me. The only person who ap¬ 
proached us was an old woman, who came up the 
steps and squatted down. 

Rescind said :—“ C’est ma mere, c’est a dire, ce 
n’est pas ma vraie mere, mais ma mere de lait.” 

Rescind then commenced conversation; and much 
mutual compliment passed among us all, according 
to Turkish fashion. 

Unfortunately it was discovered that one of my 
pearls had dropped, and, as it could not be found 
after a long search, much discomfort was created ; 
poor Madame Reschid declaring it was the only 
drawback to the enjoyment of her evening. My 
first attempt to take leave was resisted; I was 
told I was “ trop pressee;” I said I was afraid of 
intruding, and the answer was that the duty of re¬ 
ceiving me became a pleasure, “ et que nos ames 
sympathisaient.” 

At length I was allowed to take my departure, 
and was conducted by the klianoun , the slaves fol- 


112 


TURKISH WOMEN. 


lowing; and Rescind, who was evidently suffering 
from a severe cold, gave me his arm to the door, 
where the appearance of a man, in the shape of my 
English footman, who had arrived with my cloak, 
alarmed the slaves, who, after a moment’s giggling 
and scuffling, disappeared. 

This visit was certainly curious, and very inte¬ 
resting ; but I was greatly disappointed not to see 
any beauty of face or figure; indeed the latter 
struck me as positively frightful, and none of the 
women looked young. Even the children had an 
old, set, parboiled, unhealthy look; all seemed 
dirty, and the absence of any magnificence of cos¬ 
tume gave them an insignificant appearance. I 
saw neither velvet, silk, nor embroidery; all their 
dresses were made of coarse, coloured cotton, and 
possessed neither shape nor beauty. 

On returning home, after about an hour and a 
half’s jolting, I found my pearl, which had caused 
so much anxiety and search, and I immediately 
sent off a messenger to tranquillize Madame Re¬ 
scind, who had shown great interest in its supposed 
loss. 


IIAREM OF THE SERASKIER. 


113 


Next day we rowed round the Seraglio Point, 
nearly to the Seven Towers, passing the Mosques 
of St. Sophia, and of Sultans Achmet, Bajazet, and 
Suleiman. The approach to Constantinople by 
the Sea of Marmora is decidedly the most advan¬ 
tageous. I was delighted with the scenery, and 
the day was like one in summer. 

The following day Madame Franchini and I set 
out in the Seraskier’s carriage, to visit his harem. 
The streets, as usual, were crowded, but at last 
we reached the residence of the Seraskier, who has 
a fine palace, and is commander-in-chief of all the 
land forces. The harem is in a retired corner, and, 
on the door being opened, only ourselves were 
admitted. On entering, we found several slaves, 
and a very beautiful odalisque. They took me by 
the elbows, and helped me to ascend the stairs, 
which, as well as the floors, were covered with the 
finest matting. Soon after, Madame Moustapha, 
the chief lady, appeared. The Seraskier has six 
wives, but this was the Khanoun , having been 
brought up for him by his mother, a fearfully ugly 
old woman, who seemed to inspire great awe 


i 


114 


THE SERASKIER. 


amongst all the young beauties. The odalisques 
took our shawls, folded them up carefully, wrapped 
them up in a piece of cloth of gold, and put them 
by with our bonnets. 

Madame Moustapha was dressed in a brown silk 
antery , embroidered in colours ; large, full trousers, 
a striped shawl round her waist, and on her head a 
sort of indescribable edifice was built. The tang¬ 
led purple silk of the fez was mixed with plaits, 
curls, frizzed hair, coloured gauze, and some 
diamond stars. She sat down by me on a low 
divan, but, on the Seraskier’s being announced, 
she jumped up and remained standing, with her 
arms crossed over her bosom. He is a fine-looking 
man, between fifty and sixty. He sat on a chair 
near me, but unfortunately could not speak a word 
of French. 

After many speeches and civilities, according to 
oriental usage, he invited me to dine a la Turque 
with the ladies. To this I willingly assented; 
and he further proposed that, as it was the Ra¬ 
mazan, and therefore against their religion to eat 
before sunset, I should have his carriage, and drive 


TOMB OF SULTAN MAIIMOIID. 


115 


about for the next two hours. Sweetmeats and 
coffee were then introduced and handed to me, 
and, having tasted them, we took our leave, and 
drove through the markets to the tomb of Sultan 
Mahmoud, a beautiful building entirely composed 
of white marble, and only recently erected. The 
windows were gilt lattices; it was completed within 
a year, and is in very good taste. The room is like 
a large saloon, well fitted up and carpeted ; in the 
middle is the coffin, or catafalque, surrounded by 
railings of mother-of-pearl, and covered with red 
velvet richly embroidered in gold. Four magni¬ 
ficent cachemires were laid on the coffin, and the 
fez, or red cap, with the diamond aigrette and 
heron plume, hung over it. Crowds of women 
were there, their yashmacs tightly folded, and 
only their eyes visible. Men of various sects and 
costumes appeared praying on their carpets, and 
all were required to leave their slippers at the door. 

The second building contains a white marble 
fountain, with brass cups, shining like gold ; and 
the third is a room fitted up a la Franpaise, with 
sofas and chairs, for the present sultan to repose 

f 2 


CIRCASSIAN SLAVES. 


116 

when he comes to pray at the tomb of his father. 
He has hung up the flag of Acre in the first room, 
with this inscription, “ What my father failed in, 
I have accomplished, and to his memory I dedicate 
this trophy.” 

We then drove to the hippodrome, where, to my 
surprise, I saw some swings and merry-go-rounds. 
This fashion was brought from Paris by Achmet 
Pacha, and is, I should imagine, little adapted to 
Turkish gravity. At length we returned, and, 
having ascended the stairs with the same ceremony 
as before, the party assembled, and the prepa¬ 
rations for dinner began. 

The Seraskier has generally chosen and bought 
Circassians, and his harem is quite Eastern, and 
altogether unreformed by European fashions. Four 
of his wives were very beautiful, and all were good- 
looking; their toilets were all in the same style, 
only varied in colours. Some had caftans of wadded 
silk, with large, heavy, gold leaves. One blue¬ 
eyed girl, who looked languid and suffering, re¬ 
mained in a corner alone, and could not be per¬ 
suaded to mix with the others. Whether this was 


TURKISH CHILDREN. 


1 17 

ill temper or illness, I could not discover. She 
was the last purchase, and, therefore, the favourite. 
She had been lately confined, and nursed her child, 
but refused to show it. Two others were en¬ 
ceintes , and, between the standing and the fasting, 
were pale as death, and almost fainted. Nothing 
can be harder than the situation of these unfor¬ 
tunate women, as they are scarcely ever permitted 
to stir out. I discovered they had only been al¬ 
lowed to breathe the open air twice in the year. 

The Seraskier told me he once took them to the 
Sweet Waters of Asia, and was amused at my ex¬ 
pressive look of horror at such confinement. I 
could not help pitying their fate, all living toge¬ 
ther, quarrelling and jangling for the Pacha’s 
favour, “ a qui il jeterait le mouchoir.” 

I did not count the children, but I think there 
were not fewer than twelve. One beautiful little 
girl, with large bright blue eyes, like her fair 
mother, whose robe she held fast, was dressed in a 
pink and green vest, with a jacket lined with sable. 
With this exception, they had all dark eyes and 
eyebrows; most of them had bad teeth, and 


118 


A TURKISH DINNER. 


nothing could be more disgusting than their bare 
feet, the nails being, like their fingers, deeply dyed 
with henna. 

A round brass waiter, the size of the table, was 
placed about a foot from the ground, and on it 
was laid a tray, with a dozen diminutive, or doll’s 
saucers, in which were cheese, sturgeon, and pre¬ 
serves, and some large crystal cups with perfumed 
drinks. They sipped the latter, and, breaking off 
bits of bread from the pieces of roll placed before 
each person, dipped them into the various sauces. 
The Pacha’s mother invited me to sit near her, 
and on the other side were the Khanoun and her 
boy ; next came the second wife, a beautiful Cir¬ 
cassian girl, with one of her children; then an 
old Greek lady, who had come with her daughters 
to assist at the ceremony; and then Madame 
Franchini. The rest disappeared to dine elsew here. 
I had observed a table similar to ours on the land¬ 
ing-place. 

I was offered a chair, but declined, and placed 
myself on the ground like the others. The slaves 
put muslin handkerchiefs, embroidered in gold. 


A TURKISH DINNER. 


119 


round our necks, and the first course being disposed 
of, a blue bowl of milk broth was put in the middle 
of the table ; into this all put their little fiat tor¬ 
toiseshell spoons, and ate with great delight, until 
it was replaced by another mess. Hash-pilaff, 
rice, chickens, keebabs (morsels of roasted meat) 
— in short, not less than twenty dishes followed, 
one at a time, and were devoured with consider^ 
able avidity; all putting their fingers in, and not 
omitting to lick them after they had performed 
their office. Then otto-of-rose cream and orange- 
flower water were served, and then came a plate 
of sausages, on which they pounced with excessive 
glee, each seizing one. They seemed much vexed 
that I did not eat more, and pressed me un¬ 
ceasingly, saying they pitied the dishes that went 
away untasted by me, and compared me to the bird 
that comes and picks, only with this difference, 
that I did not pick. I excused myself as I best 
could, on the plea of being unused to so many 
different things, but, in truth, I was nearly poisoned 
by the smell of garlic and onions, in a room without 
fresh air and heated by a brasier. Dish after dish 


120 


AFTER-DINNER CEREMONIES. 


followed, creams, pastry, jellies, and fruit of all 
descriptions; but the best mess was cold, thick 
cream, filled with rice, and perfumed with otto of 
roses. When I asked for water, they gave it me 
in a large crystal and gold cup, with drops of 
fleur d’orange. 

x\t length every one had done, the others joined 
us, and we rose. The slaves knelt with large silver 
basins and wasliballs, and we washed our hands, 
while they poured warm water over them from 
silver jugs. The confusion and gaiety then began ; 
all these women talking at once, the children 
taking their share, aided by three Angora cats, a 
black, a gray, and a white, that purred and 
promenaded about wherever they liked. 

I was then conducted from the hall we had 
dined in to the boudoir, where coffee was served; 
Madame Franchini, the Klianoun , and I, seated on 
a divan, while all the others squatted round. Sing¬ 
ing was now proposed, but there was a good deal 
of shy refusal, till one lady, a neighbour, who said 
her husband was secretaire d’ambassadc in Lon¬ 
don, began an endless and most discordant howl- 


BOUDOIRS. 


121 


ing. Nothing can be more barbarous than the 
ideas of music among these people. This lady 
had magnificent dark eyes, and professed great 
adoration for her husband during his absence, 
and, as a proof of her affection, had sentimentally 
stuck the wafer of his last letter upon her fore¬ 
head. 

In each of the boudoirs, on sofas, lay small 
looking-glasses, with gold backs, and frames orna¬ 
mented with a large emerald, on which was a dia¬ 
mond star. One of the ladies had a jacket of 
violet merino, embroidered in silver. They were 
all better dressed than in Rescind Pacha’s harem; 
but, though their costumes were singular, fan¬ 
tastical, and Eastern, there was nothing approach¬ 
ing to splendour. 

I made several unavailing attempts to depart; 
every device was employed to detain me, and the 
mother of the Pacha declared I ought to sleep 
there. The Greek slaves then brought in a tray 
with sherbet and sugared pomegranates, which 
they compelled me to taste, and after that 1 
escaped, amidst entreaties and invitations to re- 


122 


PICTURESQUE SCENERY. 


turn. The Seraskier’s carriage, with the usual 
procession of guards and flambeaux, escorted us 
home, where I arrived at eight o’clock, extremely 
tired, but much amused and interested by all 1 
had seen. 

On the 17th we sailed for Tarapia. The day 
was lovely, and the eye never wearies of contem¬ 
plating the beautiful views on each side of the 
Bosphorus. 

Leaving Constantinople, that mass of pic¬ 
turesque magnificence, when viewed from afar, 
but of poverty and barbarism when examined in 
detail, we passed the entrance from the Sea of 
Marmora, saw Leander’s Tower, the Sweet Waters 
of Asia, Scutari, and the Giant’s Mountain, on the 
Asiatic side, and on the European, admired the 
two great palaces of the sultan, and various other 
edifices. Tall cypresses rose around : 

“ Dark tree, still sad when other’s grief is fled, 

The only constant mourner o’er the dead. 


Tarapia is prettily situated, but the town, or 
rather village, is insignificant, and has lately be- 


PICTURESQUE SCENERY. 


123 

come more so in consequence of a fire, which 
burned part of it, and, running up the hill, de¬ 
stroyed the houses where the attaches belonging to 
the English embassy were quartered. I could not 
help thinking that, if the whole of what they de¬ 
nominate a palace, but which certainly looks more 
like a cottage or shed, had shared the same fate, 
it would have been no great misfortune. 

Opposite is Buyukdere, where the Russian em¬ 
bassy resides, until the completion of their fine 
palace. Here is the Sultan’s Valley, a beautiful 
spot, and in summer, a place of great resort. Here 
is also the famous tree called the Seven Brothers, 
being seven immense planes united, under which 
Godfrey de Boulogne is said to have encamped. 
As the evening was cold, I did not land. We 
then returned to Constantinople, and the yachts 
anchoring near the Seraglio Point, the passage 
across to Pera, in a rowing-boat, was delicious. 
The Golden Horn seemed like a vast looking-glass, 
the stars were shining, and the mosques were all 
illuminated. 

We had now been a fortnight at Constantinople, 


124 


THE ARMS BAZAAR. 


during which we were favoured with that heavenly 
weather which is so necessary to the enjoyment of 
that place ; because, in the first instance, its beauty 
greatly depends on a bright sun and a clear sky, 
to colour, gild, and light it up ; and, secondly, the 
communications, at all times difficult, become in 
bad weather impossible. 

On Thursday we determined to start very early, 
and go to the Arms’ Bazaar, which had been 
hitherto closed. Accordingly, we all agreed to 
meet at the famous Moustaplia’s, a well known 
perfumer at the entrance of the great Bezestein, 
where the Sultan Mahmoud used to delight in 
sitting to gaze on the passing crowd. Here we 
found great temptation in gold bottles of otto-of- 
rose and jessamine, oil of sandal, pastilles du 
Serail , and other delicious but powerful Eastern 
perfumes. 

Having made our purchases, after duly bar¬ 
gaining and reducing the original price, and seeing 
our treasures weighed, we proceeded to the bazaar. 
Neither arabas nor horses are permitted to enter 
the Arms’ Bazaar. It is a place of considerable 


THE ARMS’ BAZAAR. 


125 


extent, and I can only compare it to covered 
alleys of pawnbrokers’ shops. 

Here every thing is thoroughly Turkish. Not a 
Frank is to be seen. Armenians, Greeks, and 
Turks, squat on low shopboards, the back of their 
stall being piled up to the top with old curiosities 
of every description. The crowd was so dense, 
and the squeeze so great, that it was with difficulty 
I kept my footing. All the articles are carried 
about and sold by auction, and the perpetual noise 
is stunning. Here an Armenian pulls your sleeve, 
and holds up a gold embroidered antery for a fair 
beauty, or a fine housing for your barb ; while 
another makes you turn and admire amber mouth¬ 
pieces mounted in enamel, studded with diamonds. 
A step farther stands an old Jew, with silver 
caskets, claiming your attention ; and next your 
steps are arrested by Greeks and Turks, with all 
manner of arms, and every description of yataghans 
and gold-mounted pistols. Begging dervishes add to 
the confusion of the scene, which is utterly inde¬ 
scribable. Every sort of odd, old, out of the way 
thin s’ is found here; and I have no doubt but that 

O 7 


126 


SCUTARI. 


with time, patience, and perseverance, many valu¬ 
able and curious purchases might be made. The 
heat and smell are very oppressive, and the pressure 
would have been unbearable had I not occasion¬ 
ally found refuge by jumping on the low shop- 
boards. On the whole, this was certainly the 
most remarkable scene I had hitherto witnessed. 

Next day we rowed across to Scutari, and, for 
the first time, I set foot in Asia. We hired horses, 
and scrambled up the miserable pavement. We 
passed a curious Armenian burying-ground, and, 
after ascending a hill for upwards of three miles, 
were rewarded by the most extensively magnificent 
view I had ever beheld. Far as the eye could 
reach over the ridge of hills, rolled the Black Sea; 
Tarapia, Buyukdere, the castles of Europe and 
Asia, the Bosphorus, the Golden Horn, with Pera, 
Galata, and Stamboul, lay like a panorama before 
us. Again, more distant on the other side, were 
the Prince’s Islands, the Sea of Marmora, and its 
islands. The evening was heavenly, the sun sank 
beneath the horizon while we gazed, and the 
Muezzin cry from the high minarets was heard 



LA NUIT DU DESTIN. 


127 


summoning all true believers to prayers; after 
which their fast is over till sunrise. 

We descended the hill, and rowed back to To- 
phana, admiring as we went the illuminated mosques, 
rendered doubly brilliant by a dark and moonless 
night. Next day we spent some more time in 
the Arms’ Bazaar; the same scene awaited us, 
and some bargains were concluded, though the 
noise was deafening, the cheating bewildering, and 
the heat and crowd insufferable. 

In the evening we went to Madame Stiirmer’s, 
where I learnt that November 21st is termed La 
Nuit du Destin , for on that night a beautiful maiden 
is given to the sultan by his nearest relation, his 
mother, aunt, or sister, whose province it is to 
make him this present; and this fair girl, being 
neither purchased nor wedded, there is some fan¬ 
cied superstition connected with this strange cere- 


monv. 





CHAPTER V. 

Visit to the mosques of Constantinople—St. Sophia—Porphyry 
columns — Turks at their devotions—Splendid coup-d’ceil — 
Seraglio—Mint—Immense plane tree—Sultan’s apartments— 
Arsenal—Keys of all the pachaliks—Mosque of Sultan Ahmed— 
Singular story—Mustapha Pacha—Mosque of Suleiman—Mosque 
of Bajazet—Fifty thousand pigeons—Cost of visiting the mosques 
—Armenian burial-ground—Turkish cemetery—Greek funerals 
—Armenian marriages—Fires in Constantinople — Plague — 
Dancing Dervishes — Singular superstition — Slave market — 
Slave dealers—Georgian and Circassian slaves—The Thousand 
and One columns—Close of the Bamazan. 


K 





VISIT TO THE MOSQUES. 


131 


CHAPTER V. 

Having obtained from Reschid Pacha a first- 
rate firman, with permission to see every thing, 
accompanied by the sultan’s own assurance to 
Lord L. that we should be so favoured, we fixed 
Monday, the 22nd, for a visit to St. Sophia. 

As these firmans are difficult as well as expen¬ 
sive to procure, when one is granted, great interest 
is made by all strangers and travellers, for permis¬ 
sion to accompany “ the eye of the people”—the 
great person to whom the document is granted 
being so called. We were persecuted by petitions 
and entreaties from English, Austrians, and Ita¬ 
lians ; and, notwithstanding all our endeavours to 
regulate and diminish our party, between thirty 
and forty other persons voted themselves to be of 

k 2 


132 


MOSQUE OF ST. SOPHIA. 


our suite, having no connexion or acquaintance 
with us whatever. 

It 'took us an hour to go from Pera round by the 
long bridge to Constantinople, though we had four 
horses to our little phaeton. The officers and 
mounted keevasses, or guards, preceded us, as 
usual. On entering the mosque of St. Sophia, we 
found it tilled with true believers engaged at their 
devotions, and we were advised to walk up stairs. 
We climbed up a dark, paved, inclined plane, 
reached the galleries that run round, and, leaning 
over, had a full view of the whole. The first 
thins 1 that strikes the mind is the immense size. 
Mr. Lewis, the painter, who accompanied us, said it 
was certainly larger than St. Paul’s; and, from the 
great open space, it appeared larger than St. Peter’s 
at Pome. The architecture was originally Greek, 
though much has been done by the Turks, and here 
and there something recals the Moorish style. The 
magnificence of the columns, and the varieties of 
marble, are beyond description ; and the cost of 
this wondrous edifice must have been immense. 
Eight splendid porphyry columns are said to have 


TURKS AT T1IEIR DEVOTIONS. 


133 


been brought from the Temple of the Sun at Balbec, 
and eight of green from that of Diana at Ephesus. 
There are also twenty-four pillars of Egyptian 
granite, making altogether forty, a favourite num¬ 
ber in the East. These support sixty above, of 
every sort of granite or marble ; and twenty-four 
windows light the cupola. 

From the circumstance of its being the Ramazan, 
and twelve o’clock being the hour of prayer, we 
saw what Christians are seldom allowed to witness 
—the Mussulmans at their devotions. Not afoot- 
fall was heard; the whole being covered with 
Turkey carpets, which, Mr. Lewis observed, all 
veered one way, the pulpit being inclined sideways 
to face them. This was so slight, I did not per¬ 
ceive it, nor did we discover the reason, whether 


originating in a trifling error in the building, or in 
the position of the mosque with regard to the sun. 
The Turks were ranged in long lines, and there 
might be about seven hundred. Nothing could be 


more resplendent and picturesque than the coup 
cVceil, and the light falling on the different coloured 
robes, violet, blue, scarlet, and green, all grouped 


134 


TURKS AT TIIEIR DEVOTIONS. 


together. You gazed upon long ranges of huge- 
rolled turbans. Hardly any of the new ugly fez 
were here, and none of the Armenian towers; all 
were turbanned Mussulmans, and their simulta¬ 
neous movements, gracefully and quietly performed, 
were very peculiar. There is something ex¬ 
tremely touching in the deep humiliation with 
which they bow their heads to the ground when 
the name of Allah is uttered ; and the most ex¬ 
traordinary part is, that though in detail it appears 
mummery, yet, en masse , it is deeply affecting. 
Often have I felt inclined to smile when I have 
seen a Turk repeatedly bowing, prostrating, mum¬ 
bling, and stroking his beard on his little solitary 
carpet; and yet, when I beheld these long lines of 
turbanned heads bent to the ground, I was touched 
and singularly impressed with their profound hu¬ 
mility and evidently strong feeling of devotion. 
There were circles of lamps, mixed with ostrich 
eggs, hung low by slender brass wires from the 
high-domed top, the effect of which, when lighted, 
must be beautiful. The marbles and verd antique 
columns of this church are fine, but its great size, 


THE SERAGLIO. 


135 


and the effect of such a multitude of people as 
filled it, astonished me most. 

On descending from the galleries, we walked 
round the mosque, the prayers were over, and the 
people dispersing; but one old Turk, in a pink 
robe and voluminous turban, had ascended a seat, 
and was expounding the Koran, and admonishing a 
few who had gathered near on the necessity of 
prayer. In the outer gallery of the entrance were 
Egyptians and Arabs, selling ostrich eggs, and 
charms against the “ evil eye.” 

We were then conducted to the Seraglio, which 
is not far off. In the first court the mint is esta¬ 
blished, which we went through, but the heat was 
so great, that I retreated as hastily as possible. 
The scene resembled Vulcan’s forge. In a corner was 
a small arsenal, which they pretended was not then 
open, but that the key should be sent for while we 
saw the palace. The first court contains the largest 
plane-tree I ever saw; the second is filled with the 
usual tall cypresses; but both appear deserted, 
neglected, and ill-kept. Here a place is shown 
where the sultan receives his ministers; after 


136 


THE ARSENAL. 


which lie retires to an inner court, where four brass 
posts, inlaid with turquoises and stones, support a 
canopy, under which a divan of cushions is pre¬ 
pared. The whole is very curious, and has an air 
of great antiquity. The mangal, or stove for fire 
and perfume, is of inlaid brass. This small cham¬ 
ber opens into a garden, from whence the quarter 
of the harem is seen at a distance. We then re¬ 
turned, not wishing to go over the numerous and 
uninteresting buildings composing the seraglio, 
which extend down to the water’s edge. 

On arriving at the arsenal, and finding that no 
key had yet appeared, we began to suspect some 
trick or ill-will on the part of our guides, and 
therefore threatened to send off to Rescind Pacha, 
when, after a short remonstrance, they produced it, 
and we made our way in. I cannot say, however, 
that we found much to reward our perseverance 
and determination. A small collection of old 
chain-armour, a few stands of arms, and a sharp, 
flinty pavement, were all the exhibition. There 
was, however, a large glass case, containing a 
curious collection of immense silver and gold keys, 


MOSQUE OF SULTAN AIIMED. 


137 


belonging to the different pashaliks, and among the 
rest, that of Weddin Scliumla was pointed out. 
Some curious sabres were also hung up. 

From hence we walked to the mosque of Sultan 
Ahmed, which occupies one side of the Hippo¬ 
drome. It is the only one with six minarets, and 
ranks next to St. Sophia. The first entrance is 
into a large court, whence a flight of steps leads to 
the mosque. The proportions are admirable, and 
it is of vast extent, and very light. Four enormous 
marble columns support the dome. We could not 
prevail on the officer who accompanied us to shew 
us any of the treasures described in Murray’s Hand¬ 
book. In vain did I make the dragoman inquire for 
emerald lamps and illuminated Korans, for our guide 
declared that no such things existed. In truth, 
the Turks hate that the Franks should enter their 
places of worship, which they consider polluted 
and desecrated by their presence ; and though we 
met with no difficulty nor insult, but found their 
behaviour perfectly quiet, nothing enrages them so 
much as the sight of a Giaour in their mosques. 
The officers and keevasses are hound to protect 


138 


SINGULAR STORY. 


strangers; but if a Turk were to strike a Frank, 
there is little doubt it would be the signal of a 
simultaneous attack, and the intruder might soon 
be murdered; and here lies the real difficulty of see¬ 
ing the mosques well, especially when lighted up at 
night. On the present occasion, a large party of wo¬ 
men were collected in a corner; they gazed eagerly 
at us, but we did not approach, and their yashmacs 
and feridgees left nothing visible but their eyes. 

A singular story was related to me, which proves 
the truth of what I have before stated, of the feel¬ 
ings of the Turks towards the Franks respecting 
their places of worship. The clock in one of the 
mosques was out of order, and the skill of a 
European was required to arrange it, but the defile¬ 
ment and pollution of his presence were objected 
to. At length some one inquired how the neces¬ 
sary materials to build and repair the mosques had 
been brought in. “ By donkeys shod,” was the 
reply. “ Then let the infidel, the dog, be driven 
in with them.” And in such manner did the poor 
clockmaker make his entrance. 

All these edifices are covered with Persian or 


MUSTAPHA PACIIA. 


139 


Turkey carpets, made softer by having straw¬ 
matting under them. Thus not a footstep is heard, 
and the absence of noise adds to the solemnity. 
In most of them I observed birds, and in the court 
of the Bajazet mosque there are said to be fifty 
thousand pigeons. 

We next drove to a smaller one, called Osmanie. 
It is extremely light and elegant in its proportions, 
and is adorned with beautifully coloured glass win¬ 
dows. It is the smallest, but certainly the prettiest 
of all the mosques. Here we met Mustapha Pacha, 
the seraskier, returning from his devotions. He was 
accompanied by an interpreter, who insisted on our 
speaking English, which he did not appear to un¬ 
derstand better than the French he objected to. 
The pacha inquired how we had been pleased, and 
we expressed boundless admiration. The Turks in 
the mosque gathered round in amazement, and 
some were heard to express their astonishment. 
“ See,” they said, “ the seraskier is speaking with 
a Frank woman, and she is talking to him.” 

We next visited the mosque of Suleiman the 
Magnificent. It is very large and fine, and was 


140 


MOSQUE OF SULEIMAN. 


built after the plan of St. Sophia ; but as all these 
edifices more or less resemble each other, we did 
not linger here, but hastened to the adjoining 
mausoleum of the sultan, its founder. It is car¬ 
peted, and contains six tombs, all surrounded by 
railings of mother-of-pearl. The coffins of the 
children are plain and faded, but those of the 
sultans are covered with the richest cacliemires, 
and the large high white turban (so unfortunately 
discarded for the hideous modern fez), orna¬ 
mented with a diamond aigrette. In this mauso¬ 
leum is an interesting model of the mosque at Mecca. 

It was now half-past three, and we had still 
time to visit another mosque. We therefore de¬ 
sired to be shown that of the Sultan Bajazet, on 
the place of that name, which the present sovereign 
often frequents. To this, great objections were 
made. The officer pulled out his watch, and tried 
to argue that it was too late—that the hour, four 
o’clock, when the building closed, was past—that 
the name was not specified in the firman—that the 
sultan was there; in short, every possible ex¬ 
cuse was made, and difficulty raised, to deter 


COST OF VISITING TIIE MOSQUES. 


141 


us from our project, but we insisted, and at 
last obtained an entrance. This mosque is also 
large; it is carpeted, and has the same low rings 
of small lamps. It was full of Turks, but no one 
molested us, as we followed the officer who cleared 
the way. In the court were stalls with fruit, con¬ 
fectionary, lemonade, sherbet, See .; charms, per¬ 
fumes, rosaries, and gilded j^stiUes da serail, were 
likewise sold here. We inquired much about the 
Eyoub mosque, into which I heard no Christian 
had ever penetrated, and that even the Prince de 
Joinville, when here, had not been allowed permis¬ 
sion to view it. It is in this building that the 
Sultan is invested, on his accession, with the sword 
and other ensigns of sovereignty, which are ac¬ 
cordingly kept here. It was now four o’clock, and 
for that day all was over. We therefore dismissed 
the officer with a baeshish of three purses, or 1500 
piastres; a moderate demand, as we had been in¬ 
formed that, to make the tour, remembering the 
imaums and different functionaries, would cost forty 
pounds. We then returned home, not a little 
fatigued with this very interesting expedition. 


142 


ARMENIAN BURIAL-GROUND. 


The great Armenian burial-ground being close 
to our house, funerals were continually passing; 
and singular indeed they were. The Turks have 
an idea that the soul is in torment while the body 
is unburied; they therefore lose no time in con¬ 
signing the remains of their relatives to earth. 
They prefer a resting-place in Asia to Europe, 
fearing that Constantinople may at some future 
day fall into the hands of the giaour , who would 
disturb their ashes. Scutari is their great ceme¬ 
tery, and a cypress is planted every time a body is 
put in the ground. The Armenians are forbidden 
the use of this tree, but are allowed the terebenth, 
or turpentine. In the Greek funerals that daily 
passed my window, the procession commenced with 
a wild, sad chant, and the body was carried in a bed 
decorated with the gayest colours, and the freshest 
flowers wreathed round the face, which is uncovered. 

The Armenian marriages are very remarkable. 
The bride wears a veil formed of threads of <rold 
which entirely conceals her face. 

The great scourges of Constantinople are fire 
and plague; the former is of constant occurrence, 


PLAGUE. 


143 


originating in the carelessness and fatalism of the 
people, and continuing to a frightful extent, from 
the nature of the buildings, which are principally 
of wood; for this reason, architecture is little at¬ 
tended to. The houses are slight, ill-finished, and 
hardly furnished, the proprietors calculating that 
their dwelling must be burned down once or twice 
at least in ten years. 

From plague, that worst and most fearful visita¬ 
tion, Constantinople has never been so free as at 
present. There is a superstition that plague and 
war are never known together; but I am told that 
a clean bill of health is never given; and if it were, 
it probably would not be admitted. From Smyrna, 
two days of quarantine are deducted. I have often 
thought how heedlessly we exposed ourselves to a 
chance of infection, and that at no place would 
there be greater risk than at the bazaars, espe¬ 
cially at the Anns’ bazaar, where dense crowds of 
all sorts of people press on every side, and where 
all kinds of old things are found collected, Heaven 
knows from where; but of this no one thinks, as, 
full of excitement, they rush on to play a part in 


144 


DANCING DERVISHES. 


the busy scene. I believe that it is impossible for 
an European to reside for any time at Constan¬ 
tinople, without catching something of the Turkish 
spirit of fatalism. 

Next day, we went to see the turning or 
dancing dervishes. They generally perform twice 
a week, but, during the Ramazan, only on Tuesday, 
and we had unfortunately missed them each time. 
Their place of assembly is a small octagon room in 
Pera. We were required to put off our shoes, or 
put on slippers. I always pretended to practise the 
former, by merely discarding my clogs; either 
alternative will do; but some method or change 
must be adopted, as it offends them that what 
they hold sacred should be trodden by dirty 
shoes. We found about twenty dervishes, with 
high, round, felt caps, and brown mantles. Two 
old men with silver beards were dressed in green, 
with white turbans. They walked round and 
round, bowing, and turning slowly several times. 
They then cast off their mantles, and appeared in 
full, bell-shaped petticoats and jackets, their feet 
being bare ; and they commenced dancing or 


SLAVE MARKET. 


145 


whirling, for ten minutes or a quarter of an hour, 
with the most surprising velocity. Wild music was 
played in a gallery above, and they kept perfect 
time; no confusion or jostle occurred, and they 
seemed insensible to giddiness, though I felt my 
head turn while only gazing. It is a most eccen¬ 
tric exhibition, as a religious ceremony, and is sup¬ 
posed to have some connexion with the worship of 
the sun, though how, I could neither learn nor un¬ 
derstand. I had been charged not to laugh; but, 
really, I never felt disposed to do so. Still, it is 
sad mummery, and great absurdity to imagine their 
twisting and dancing can be acceptable to God. 

We then descended to Tophana; and, reaching 
the other side, after a row over the Bosphorus, I 
mounted a horse, to go to the slave-market. It is 
not far from the bazaars, but on this occasion, the 
day being advanced, it was nearly empty. We 
entered a small square or court, round which are 
wretched cells, and into these miserable abodes the 
poor black beings are crowded and huddled. 

You cannot but pity these unfortunate creatures, 
some scarcely clothed, others with glaring yellow 

L 


146 THE THOUSAND-AND-ONE COLUMNS. 

or scarlet drapery round them. They are brought 
by wild-looking Arabs. The handsome Georgians 
and Circassians are sold privately, generally at the 
merchants’ houses. Whatever may be urged as to 
the fate of slaves in Turkey—where they are treated 
really with kindness and affection, and become a 
part of the family—still the idea of the traffic of 
human creatures, and of the degradation of woman¬ 
kind to so low a condition, is too painful to dwell 
upon. I gladly turned away, resolved not to re¬ 
turn, for the chance of finding it fuller. 

We next went to the thousand-and-one columns, 
a most curious place, under ground. It is now 
used by silk-winders, and is very damp and un¬ 
wholesome. We next proceeded to the tanks, or 
cisterns, which have never been thoroughly ex¬ 
plored. 

We were anxiously waiting the end of the Ra¬ 
mazan, about which the Turks themselves seemed 
to be in ignorance. At length, on Wednesday the 
25 th, as soon as the sun set, the whole place 
reverberated with cannon, fired to announce the 
joyful news. 


CHAPTER VI. 


Close of the Ramazan—The Bairam—Rejoicings—Grand Pro¬ 
cession—Turkish bath—Turkish stud—An offended dignitary— 
Close of the Bairam—Audience of the sultan—Tscheragan Palace 
—Admiral Walker’s lady—Preliminary ceremonies — Novelty of 
an audience granted by the sultan to a Frank lady—Apartments 
of the palace — A surprise — Description of Abdul Mehjid — His 
dress — Doing homage—Reschid Pacha — A hurricane—Annoy¬ 
ances of Constantinople—Dogs—Departure for Smyrna—Mitylene 
—Syra—Quarantine—Milo—Voyage to Corfu—Lazzaretto—Sir 
Howard and Lady Douglas—Sir George Berkeley—A character 
—Anecdote of King Otho—Patras—The Little Dardanelles. 


L 


Q 



LIBRARY 






GRAND PROCESSION. 


149 


CHAPTER VI. 

At seven o’clock on Thursday morning, before 
sunrise, the troops lined the streets of Constanti¬ 
nople, and a great procession was formed from the 
seraglio to the St. Sophia mosque, comprising the 
sultan, the ministers, imaums, &c. A pouring rain 
prevented my going to the rooms prepared for me 
to see this ceremony, which is, however, said to be 
much shorn of its splendour since the extinction of 
the janissaries. On this occasion, all the fine trap¬ 
pings and embroidered and jewelled housings of the 
mounted and led horses were covered, to guard 
them from the rain. For three days the popula¬ 
tion seemed out of their senses; the shops and be - 
zesteins were closed, the streets were impassable, 
the cannon were continually firing, and general 


150 


TURKISH STUD. 


confusion and rejoicing prevailed. Presents are 
sent of baskets of confectionary, called “ lumps of 
delight,” which I never had the courage to taste; 
neither could I, during my stay at Constantinople, 
summon resolution to try a Turkish bath, which, 
from the description I had of it, seems by no 
means inviting. 

One day we rowed down the Bosphorus, to see 
some horses belonging to a pacha who lived near 
Tarapia. We landed, and were shown to the house 
of Moustapha Pacha, and found some mistake had 
arisen, and that he was not at home, and had no 
stable. We inquired further, and found that the 
horses belonged to another pacha, Mehemet Ali, 
who had been a great man in Sultan Mahmoud’s 
reign, but being now rather under a cloud, was 
consequently the more tenacious and proud. We 
received permission to see the stables, and the horses 
were paraded. We then returned to the boat, and 
Lord L. went to thank the pacha, who showed him 
his house, pictures, &c., and pressed him to stay 
for coffee and pipes. Being unwilling to make me 
wait, he declined, and we afterwards heard that this 


CLOSE OF T11E BAIR AM. 


151 


gave mortal offence, and the pacha’s indignation 
knew no bounds. He said he was as dirt, that dirt 
had been heaped upon him, and that we should not 
have any of his horses for five thousand guineas. 

After three days’ firing and rejoicing, at length 
the Bairam ceased, and the confusion subsided ; and 
on Monday morning, November 30 th, I was desired 
to proceed to the Tscheragan palace, for my 
audience of the sultan. Some difficulty occurred 
as to whom I should select to accompany me. 
Madame Franchini was objected to by some, as too 
great a proof of the court arrangements being under 
Russian influence. Rescind Pacha undertook to 
interpret, and it was suggested I might go alone. 
This, however, seemed inconvenient. I therefore 
asked Mrs. Walker, the wife of Captain Walker, of 
the British navy, but who had recently been made 
a Turkish admiral, to go with me, and she gladly 
acceded. Accordingly, at eleven o’clock, on a cold, 
snowy morning, we packed ourselves into a small 
close carriage (the first covered one I had seen in 
Turkey, and kindly sent us by Rescind Pacha), and 
we set out, preceded as usual by guards and kee- 


152 


PRELIMINARY CEREMONIES. 


vasses. The road, like all others in this country, 
Avas dreadful, and we were shaken to pieces, until, 
after a long descent down a steep declivity, we 
found ourselves at a palace presenting a long facade 
to the sea, on the Pera, or European side. Here we 
were shown through an open court, the guard being 
turned out to receive us. In Turkey, the outward 
slippers are always left at the door, the floors being 
covered with the finest mats, the rooms carpeted, 
and not a speck or particle of dust to be seen. We 
entered a small waiting-room, where we found some 
Austrian officers, who were also awaiting their au¬ 
dience. They informed me of what I had not dis¬ 
covered, that the place appointed had been changed, 
and that I was not, as I imagined, in the Tschera- 
gan palace, but in the Beshiktasch; that they had 
already gone to the former, and found no one; and 
that there appeared to be singular confusion in all 
the arrangements. Coffee was handed to us in 
tiny cups, not containing above a thimbleful, but 
placed in the most exquisite little jewelled stands, 
or egg-cups, of pink enamel and diamonds. A 
large brass brasier stood in the middle of the 


PRELIMINARY CEREMONIES. 


153 


apartment, and a low embroidered divan ran 
round it. 

At length the Marechal du Palais came in, and 
some attendants; coffee was again handed round, 
and soon after Rescind Pacha appeared. We 
waited some time, during which coffee was once 
more brought, and there was much whispering, 
and evident difficulty, confusion, and embarrass¬ 
ment. At length they all went away, leaving 
Mrs. Walker and me with the Austrian strangers, 
who were much amused at the sensation produced 
by the appearance of a Frank woman within these 
walls ; it being, I believe, the first instance of a 
formal audience being granted to a lady. The 
Turks occasionally lifted up the curtain over the 
entrance into the room, and peeped in to gaze at 
me. I was in full court dress; and this toilet, so 
unusual, especially to Turks, unaccustomed as they 
are to see any ladies in public, added to their 
astonishment. Mrs. W., the only lady who had 
ever been received, had been attired in a hat, and 
without jewels, having unfortunately left hers at 
Odessa. Her audience, however, had been less 


154 


PRELIMINARY CEREMONIES. 


punctilious as to form than mine, and, having 
occurred in the garden, had more the character of 
an accidental meeting than a formal and state ap¬ 
pointment, which mine was. A great step has been 
made in the approach to civilization, and probably 
this will continue, and perhaps, in a few years, 
ladies will be received at the Ottoman court in the 
same manner as at any other. 

At length, Rescind Pacha, the Marechal du 
Palais, and other attendants, returned, having put 
on their diamond decorations; and after waiting 
again for some time (for nothing in Turkey is ever 
done in a hurry,) I was requested to follow them. 
I expected to enter some adjoining room, where 
the sultan would receive me, hut, to my surprise, 
I was desired to put on my furs, my clogs, and my 
cloak, and I followed them down stairs, crossed an 
open court, and arrived at a long terrace or gar¬ 
den, at the end of which stood the palace. Luckily, 
it had ceased snowing, but the cold was intense. 
I was then informed that the great officers of state 
had received orders to show us the apartments; 
and we were first conducted into a kiosk, or plea- 


A SURPRISE. 


155 


sure-house, of great beauty. The courts we tra¬ 
versed were paved with marble flags, and I was 
much struck with the grandeur of a room of 150 
feet long, having a large bow in the centre. It was 
covered with the finest matting, and, being fitted up 
in the Oriental taste, with a long line of open lattices 
to the water, it must be a delicious resting-place 
during the summer heats. 

While I was shivering with cold, and gazing 

O 7 O o 

on the Asiatic shore, and the extensive view 
(which even in the bleak and dreary month of 
November is lovely), a large square trap-door in 
the floor was raised, and I heard a voice sav, 
“ Voila la mer, madaine !” Hardly believing my 
senses, I advanced, and, truly, the deep green sea 
flowed under the splendid eastern gallery. A 
shudder came over me, as I thought how readily 
that trap-door might close over its victims, and my 
blood ran cold while my imagination made the 
mute inquiry, who can tell on whom that barrier 
has closed ? I recalled the lines, 

When wearied of these fleeting charms and me, 

Here yawns the sack, and yonder rolls the sea ; 


156 


APARTMENTS OF THE PALACE. 


and I turned away, and gladly obeyed the sum¬ 
mons to proceed. 

Following the officers, we crossed another mar¬ 
ble court, and ascended a flight of steps to the 
palace. The hall and stairs were matted, and 
were lined with attendants, all in fez and caftan. 
We were then ushered through long suites of 
apartments, expecting every moment to find our¬ 
selves in the presence of the sultan. At length, 
on arriving at a small side ante-room, when I was 
the least prepared for the meeting, Abdul Mehjid 
walked in quickly, and suddenly stood before us. 
The usual fez was on his head, a full military 
cloak hung round him, clasped at the throat 
with an agrafe of enormous diamonds. A large 
solitaire ring was on his little finger. He is tall, 
pale, sallow, and slight, only eighteen years of 
age, with fine eyes, a sweet smile, and amiable 
expression of countenance. It is said he is learn¬ 
ing French, and is much more informed as to all 
that is passing in the world than is generally sup- * 
posed. The Prince de Joinville, when here, saw 
and conversed much with him; and, lately, a good 


DOING HOMAGE. 


157 


deal lias transpired as to his manners and ideas, 
from a Russian painter, who has just finished his 
picture, and with whom he had much intercourse 
during his several sittings. He did not bow to 
me, but immediately began talking to Reschid 
Pacha, who, having paid his homage, which is done 
by appearing gracefully to pick up the dust from 
the feet, according to the expression, je baise la 
poussiere, interpreted to me the sultan’s pleasure 
and satisfaction at seeing me, and his hope that I 
had recovered the fatigue of my journey. To this 
I replied. He then inquired if I had been at all 
rewarded for what I had suffered, and for the de¬ 
privation of the comforts and luxuries of England. 
I requested Reschid to express my admiration of 
Constantinople, my gratification at my visit and 
reception, and my thanks for having been allowed 
to see every thing that was curious and interest¬ 
ing. The sultan inquired if I had visited the 
Tscheragan palace, and, on my answering in the 
negative, he desired orders to be given that it 
might be shown to me. He then asked who was 
the lady that accompanied me, and being told her 


158 


RESC1IID PACIIA. 


name, lie desired Rescind Pacha to express the 
pleasure he felt at having an opportunity of telling 
her how highly he valued her husband’s services. 
After a happily worded reply from her, that she 
had equal delight in being able to assure his ma¬ 
jesty that he had not a more faithful servant than 
Admiral Walker, the sultan expressed his regrets at 
my intention of leaving Constantinople so soon, and 
then vanished as suddenly as he had appeared. 

I was re-conducted to the door of the palace by 
Rescind Pacha and the Marechal du Palais, who 
eagerly inquired what I thought of their imperial 
master. They seemed pleased with the praise and 
admiration I expressed, and Rescind Pacha inter¬ 
preted to the other all I said ; and mentioned also 
my having twice seen the sultan dismount from his 
horse on the Constantinople quay, and enter his 
beautiful caique, to return to his palace on the 
Pera side. I then took leave of Rescind, endea¬ 
vouring to describe our gratitude for all his kind¬ 
ness and protection. The troops lined the courts,' 
and were under arms as I passed. Orders were 
given to conduct me to the other palace, but, being 


A HURRICANE. 


159 


chilled and ill from the cold, I excused myself, 
and desired to be taken back to our wretched 
abode at Pera. 

We were to have left by the Seripervas steamer 
on the 1st of December, but we were prevented 
from doing so by the non-arrival of the Crescent, 
another Austrian steamer, which was due from 
Trebizonde on the 30th of November, and was to 
have sailed on the 1st of December with five hun¬ 
dred Turkish troops, and thirty officers for Egypt; 
and, owing to her not arriving, the Seripervas was 
despatched on this service in her place, which hin¬ 
dered our going by her on the 1st instant; a 
most fortunate escape for us, as we afterwards 
learnt, for she was wrecked that night in the Gulf 
of Modania, and, though the crew was saved, a 
dreadful scene and great loss followed. 

A fearful hurricane came on, and a deep snow 
fell; our small wooden abode shook and rocked, 
the little panes of glass danced and rattled, and 
the wind and storm increased tremendously. Four 
houses were blown down; many unfortunate crea¬ 
tures perished from cold and exposure to the 


ICO ANNOYANCES OF CONSTANTINOPLE. 

inclemency of the weather. As the loveliness 
of Constantinople (from a distance, always be 
it understood) is undisputed and unrivalled, 
when 

Skies are blue and earth is gay, 

so does it become absolutely hideous when the 
summer colouring is passed away, and winter 
brings a change over the scene. Miss Pardoe may 
talk of its “ ermine mantlebut, with a deep 
covering of snow, the Bosphorus boiling and 
smoking, and the Black Sea rushing down, any 
thing more desolate and uninviting than the aspect 
of Constantinople cannot be imagined; while the 
misery and almost barbarism of its interior defy 
description. The want of pavement; the sloping, 
pent roofs, which pour deluges of rain over the 
unwary passenger who, in fisherman’s boots, may 
be attempting to thread his path through hills of 
snow and ice, and, in falling over dozens of starving 
houseless and useless curs, that curl themselves up 
at every step, is hardly able to keep his footing up 
and down the rugged ascents and descents; the 
slight, ill-built habitations precluding all real com- 


DOGS. 


161 


fort, being mostly wooden habitations that afford 
little protection from noise and cold, and the diffi¬ 
culty of moving about—all these things render 
this city a most undesirable abode in inclement 
weather. 

I have not remarked on the dogs, and yet they 
are peculiar to this place. None are suffered to 
enter the houses, consequently all are without 
homes or owners, yet the streets are filled with 
thousands, that howl all night, and attack any 
one not provided with a stick. They subsist on 
charity, have their own police arrangements and 
districts, and will not suffer an intruder. They 
are ugly, rough, reddish beasts, half wolf, a quarter 
jackal, and a quarter dog. This tribe adds con¬ 
siderably to the annoyances of Constantinople. 

It is a great source of satisfaction to have seen 
this capital, so different from all others, so full of 
interest, beauty, and novelty. It is perhaps un¬ 
reasonable to expect any place to look its best in 
December, and I almost wish I had left it before 
the last storm, and that I had carried away its 
bright warm look of beauty, with the sun lighting 

M 


162 


DEPARTURE FOR SMYRNA. 


up its numerous mosques, its graceful minarets, 
and dark cypresses. I wish that this had been 
the impression of the last lingering gaze. It was, 
however, otherwise decreed; the steamer not 
arriving, and the uncomfortable reports of her 
loss, and that of other vessels, reaching us, we 
were prevailed on to profit by the fine morning 
and north wind of Thursday, December 3d, and 
sail for Smyrna in Mr. Bentinck’s yacht, the 
Dream. Baron Stunner took us on board in his 
light caique, rowed by ten men in Greek or Alba¬ 
nian dresses. It was with regret we took leave of 
him, after all his kindness and attention. 

We sailed prosperously through the Sea of Mar¬ 
mora during the night, and into the Dardanelles 
next day, when, getting our firmans vises without 
delay, we passed the castles, and reached Mity- 
lene. Here we were becalmed, with a heavy 
swell; a terrible night ensued, with a strong wind 
and sea, that made the vessel pitch and toss dread¬ 
fully while lying-to. On Sunday morning, the 
Merlin, Captain Lyon’s yacht, bore away for Scio, 
and we were forced to follow, and, to my great re- 


163 


QUARANTINE. 

gret, renounce our visit to Smyrna, a place I had 
set my heart on seeing; all the stories concern¬ 
ing it, of caravans arriving, strings of camels, pre¬ 
sents for Mecca, purses of precious stones, gold 
embroidery, Persian carpets, and cashmere shawls, 
being fixed in my mind. Great was my despair 
when I found we were not able to go. We, how¬ 
ever, resigned ourselves to our fate, and followed 
the schooner to Scio, where we anchored, but as 
there was a good deal of sea, I did not go on 
shore. The aspect of the place was deplorable, 
though the situation is very striking. It was 
formerly prosperous, but it has hardly recovered 
the destruction that befell it in the late war with 
the Greeks. 

Having obtained a clean bill of health, we sailed 
with a fair wind for Syra; the night, however, 
was bad. We made the Miconi passage, and lay- 
to under the Island of Tenos till daylight, and we 
found it very rough and disagreeable. Monday 
morning we went into Syra, a wild-looking spot, 
of singular appearance. Several conical hills form 
the bay, on one of which the town is built, begin- 

M 2 


164 


VOYAGE TO CORFU. 


ning literally with one house at the top, and 
spreading downwards like a fabric of cards. We 
were immediately put into quarantine, the yellow 
flag was hoisted, and two dirty Greek guardiani 
put on board each yacht; and it was announced 
to us that we must not expect pratique for four¬ 
teen days. At this the gentlemen rebelled, and a 
great wrangle commenced, which lasted till the 
next day, and ended in our sending the guardiani 
off, setting the Greek authorities at defiance, and 
determining to take our chance of obtaining jus¬ 
tice at Corfu. 

We then prepared for sea; and, having a pro¬ 
sperous gale, passed Milo and Anti-Milo ; at twelve 
o'clock at night the wind shifted and became con¬ 
trary, blowing hard ; and after four hours’ beating, 
we bore up, and ran back to Milo, where we an¬ 
chored on Wednesday morning. It is a savage¬ 
looking, land-locked place; a Greek cutter and 
brig were lying there. We were not allowed to 
disembark, but were informed that if we remained 
seventeen days, we might have pratique ! 

On Thursday, the 10th, we got under weigh in 

v 7 o o 


VOYAGE TO CORFU. 


165 


the afternoon, and again stood out towards the 
entrance, but, finding the weather thick and bad, 
we returned to our anchorage. All night it blew 
a hurricane, with tremendous squalls, heavy thun¬ 
der, and fearful lightning, accompanied by deluges 
of rain. 

On Friday, the 11th, we once more attempted 
to get away, and worked out of Milo Bay against 
a strong north-west wind, weathered Cape Varna, 
passed between it and Anti-Milo, and steered for 
Cape St. Angelo, which we were abreast of at half¬ 
past ten o’clock. We regretted not being able to 
land here and see the hermit, who has fixed his 
dwelling on a cliff in this lone, deserted spot. 

At four o’clock on Saturday morning, we went 
round Cape Matapan, and ran on with a fair wind, 
passed Navarino, and in the evening were abreast 
of Zante. The night was dreadful, thick fog with 
heavy squalls, fearful thunder, lightning, and tor¬ 
rents of rain. 

On Sunday morning, at half-past one o’clock, 
we were between Leucadia and Paxo; we then 
ran between Paxo and Anti-Paxo. At half-past 


166 


T1IE LAZZARETTO. 


three o’clock we passed Cape Blanco, and not 
being able to save our daylight, we ran into Come- 
nizza Bay, and anchored for the night. Next 
morning, Monday 14th, a dead calm delayed us, 
and it was not till one o’clock that we anchored 
at Corfu, the high citadel, the fortified hills, and 
picturesque mountains of which are very striking. 
We had hoped to be allowed to count our quaran¬ 
tine from Sunday 6th, at Scio, and that one day 
more would have seen us free and clear, but we 
were sadly disappointed. Our passage was al¬ 
lowed to count, but seven days more were im¬ 
posed ; and as a great favour, the health office, 
consisting of four miserable rooms close to the 
sea, was given up to us, instead of sending us to 
the Lazzaretto, a large, cold building on a desert 
island, two miles off, and sometimes, in a heavy 
sea, unapproachable even with the provision boat. 
Here we vegetated till Monday, 21st, receiving 
visits from the governor, Sir Howard Douglas, 
and his family, and allowed to walk by the sea on 
the pier, watched by the gardiens , who received 
every thing from us with long tongs, and then 


SIR HOWARD DOUGLAS. 


167 


fumigated it, interposing with sticks if any one 
approached too near us. 

Enough has been written on the miseries of qua¬ 
rantine, which is neither more nor less than posi¬ 
tive imprisonment, however it may be lightened 
by the kindness that surrounds the captive with 
luxury and comforts. We had flowers, books, and 
papers; and every attention that could be devised 
was paid us by Sir Howard and Lady Douglas; 
but we sighed and fretted for freedom, and at last 
obtained it. On the 21st we were gladdened by 
the arrival of our children in the Mahmoud 
steamer, from Trieste, and were rejoicing to find 
ourselves once more reunited under the roof of an 
hotel called the Club House, where, however, 
during* a short abode, we discovered new miseries. 
The noise never ceased by day or night, and the 
severe cold was almost unbearable, in rooms that 
contained neither a fireplace nor a stove, and had 
consequently the temperature of ice-houses. We 
dined at the palace, a magnificent and comfort¬ 
able residence occupied by the governor, com¬ 
manding a fine view of the sea and the mountains. 


168 


ATHENS. 


We drove round the town, which seemed miserable 
enough, and entered the church of Saint Spiridion, 
the patron saint of the island. It was his fete , 
and the whole place was filled with people offering 
wax candles. 

The drives and walks are beautiful, and the 
citron and orange-groves reminded me of Spain ; 
they are of great extent and luxuriance, and one 
cannot help regretting that all the nursing of hot¬ 
houses in England can produce nothing to be 
compared to these neglected trees, surrounded by 
thorns, shrubs, and weeds, yet loaded with fruit. 
We dined with Sir George Berkeley at the citadel, 
and also at the Chevalier and Lady Petrizzopulo’s, 
the president. 

Being so near Athens, we were reluctant to 
leave Corfu without visiting that interesting place, 
and we thankfully accepted Sir Howard Douglas’s 
kind offer of his Ionian steamer, to convey us up 
the Gulf of Patras. We determined, however, to 
wait till after Christmas-day. The garrison was 
reviewed by Lord L. on the 24th, and on the 26th, 
we embarked. Mr. Bentinck, who was to have 


A CHARACTER. 


169 


accompanied us, was ill and not able to move, and 
Captain Lyon very kindly took his place. The 
morning was lovely; we ran on smoothly during the 
day, but the smell and motion of a small steamer 
are always particularly disagreeable, and I lay 
down for some hours, and it was not till I crawled 
in to dinner that I made acquaintance with the 
captain, whose character I had not been in the 
least prepared for, and therefore was the more 
pleased and surprised to find such an agreeable 
original. His broad face was marked with the 
strongest expression of good-humour and shrewd¬ 
ness. The rotundity of his figure spoke well for 
his fare, and betokened a happy temper and a 
merry heart. His keen, black eyes glanced round, 
and nothing escaped them, while large, dark, 
bushy brows overshadowed his ruddy face. 

This singular person is by birth a Genoese, and 
his history is worth recording, though I regret 
many links are wanting in the chain. At ten years 
old, having run away from his parents, and worked 
a passage, he found himself in the streets of Con¬ 
stantinople without shoes or stockings. Here he 


170 


A CHARACTER. 


picked up a few Turkish words ; and his first exploit 
was to offer himself as pilot to a vessel bound for the 
Danube. Never having been there, he was naturally 
considerably puzzled to find the mouth of the river, 
and the captain having discovered his ignorance, 
was proceeding to inflict summary punishment by 
hanging him, when the quick Italian, having espied 
a ship coming into the Black Sea, concluded that 
another could go where that had come out, and 
pretending to recover from his bewilderment and 
regain his recollection, boldly guided the vessel 
forward. Much of his after history was not to be 
arrived at; for thirty years he had ploughed the 
Adriatic, been taken prisoner and escaped by 
swimming, had all manner of perils and adven¬ 
tures ; had served under Napoleon and Murat, and 
was now employed by the English government as 
captain of this little steamer. He gave most 
entertaining accounts of his search for pirates, 
who, he said, came, like the finest honey, from the 
island of Cerigo. His eyes he declared were his 
charts; he quoted Virgil, and had Metastasio at 
his fingers’ ends. He talked of Prince George of 


A CHARACTER. 


171 


Cambridge, whom he had taken on this same 
expedition. “ Charmant gallon,” he said. He 
began by protesting against wine, which he de¬ 
clared he never touched, but ended by drinking 
three bottles. He produced different sorts from 
all countries, sweet and bitter from Zante and 
Malaga, cheese from Parma, chestnuts from Italy, 
honey from Cerigo, preserved roses from Constan¬ 
tinople. He was very hospitable, and was de¬ 
lighted if any thing he had was approved; and 
when asked how he collected all these different 
productions, he replied, “ Mais, ma foi, une main 
aide l’autre, et les deux lavent la figure.” We 
asked him if we could find a good servant at 
Athens. “Mais, miladi, est ce que l’on trouve 
des mouches blanches? Aussi bien piocher ou 
gratter dans l’eau que de s’attendre a trouver quel- 
que chose de bon chez les Grecs, qui ne valent 
rien. Ils prendront cent thaleri pour tuer un 
homme, mais si on leur offre de plus un bon diner, 
ils ne mangeront pas la viande, parceque c’est 
contre leur religion.” He said une belle lime was 
every thing at sea; “qu’elle mangeoit la moitie 


172 


ANECDOTE OF KING OTIIO. 


du mauvais temps, mais que si on avoit de plus le 
vent, tant mieux avoir Tune et l’autre.” And 
then he grinned, and blinked, and chuckled at his 
own wit, and, putting on the most sentimental face 
imaginable, began to sing Italian airs out of dif¬ 
ferent operas. He told us some one had written 
on the door of the King of Greece’s palace, 8610 
—“ ce qui veut dire —Otto sei un zero” 

Before going to bed I inquired where we were, 
and being informed it was somewhere abreast of 
Sappho’s leap, I retired to rest, hoping to reach 
Corinth next day. The Fates, however, decreed 
otherwise; during the night a strong easterly wind 
got up, and a heavy sea made the vessel roll and 
labour terribly, and we were so ill and uncomfort¬ 
able, that we gladly acceded to the captain’s pro¬ 
posal that we should go into Patras, where he no 
sooner anchored than he turned into bed ; when 
an extraordinary noise was heard like sawing 
ropes, and this eventually proved to be his snoring. 

Lord L. went on shore, and saw the consul and 
vice-consul. Here, to our infinite vexation, we 
found that the governor’s letters for Athens, de- 


THE LITTLE DARDANELLES. 


173 


siring that preparations might be made for our 
arrival and reception, had got no farther than 
Zante, whence there was little chance of their 
being forwarded. We therefore sent off an esta- 
fette, borrowed a side-saddle in case of my having 
to ride, arid procured provisions for our expedi¬ 
tion, which seemed likely to last longer than we at 
first contemplated. 

A beautiful bay, with a ruined castle, and snow¬ 
capped mountains, did not tempt us to land ; and, 
having time to spare, we determined to remain 
that day, and early next morning to proceed to 
Delphi, and see the temple there. Accordingly, at 
eight o’clock, we went through the little Darda¬ 
nelles, which form the entrance of the Gulf of 
Lepanto, and anchored off Castri. Here we saw 
Mount Parnassus covered with snow, and found 
the distance too great to accomplish our project 
during daylight. Fish and olives were all this 
wretched place afforded ; only three or four habi¬ 
tations were to be seen, and the few people that 
came off in boats looked wild and hardly human. 



CHAPTER VII. 


Our captain—Arrival at Leutrachi — Callimaclii — Proceed to 
Athens in a Russian cutter— Royal Hotel, Athens—Acropolis — 
Parthenon—Anecdote of an English captain—The Ereclitheum— 
Temple of Theseus—Temple of Jupiter—Hew palace building for 
King Otho—Divine service at Sir Edmund Lyons’s—Public pro¬ 
menade — Presentation to the Queen — Dresses of the Albanians 
and Greeks — The banker’s — Lantern of Lysicrates — General 
Church’s collection of portraits — A review—To Callimaclii in 
King Otho’s steamer —Voyage to Zante — Effects of the late 
earthquake—Arrival of our children from Corfu—Voyage to 
Malta — Quarantine — Settle at the house of the governor, Sir 
Henry Bouverie — General appearance of the island—Cathedral 
of St. John—Voyage to Palermo —Turtle — Palermo and its en¬ 
virons—La Favorita —The Palazzo Reale — Shrine of St. Rosalia 
—Montreale—Voyage to Capri—Arrival at Naples—Theatre of 
St. Carlos — Carnival hall —Presentation to the King and Queen 
—Ball at Baron Rothschild’s—Court ball—Palace—Masked balls 
at the St. Carlos Theatre—Fete given by the Duke de Montebello— 
Acton Palace—Ball at the academy— Shrove Tuesday amusements 
—Lady Blessington’s villa, the Belvidere Palace—Comparison be¬ 
tween the Bay of Naples and the Bosphorus — Museum—Severin 
Chapel—Jews’ quarter—Pompeii—News of the fire at Wynyard. 





OUR CAPTAIN. 


177 


CHAPTER VII. 

Our captain was a great resource; abound¬ 
ing in anecdote, originality, and talent, lie was 
always amusing, and, besides his quotations and 
love of poetry, we discovered two additional ac¬ 
complishments, singing and drawing. His like¬ 
nesses were striking and done by a trait de crayon , 
while he quoted Metastasio, and sung airs from 
“ Norma ” and “ La Sonnambula.” I begged him 
to send early next morning for milk, as the tea 
was bad without; to which request he replied that 
tea without milk was like justice without mercy, 
and quoted 

“ La giustizia senza la clemenza e tiranna, 

La clemenza senza giustizia e debolezza.” 

N 


178 


CORINTH. 


But I fear no description can do G. justice, or 
convey the least idea of his singular character. 

Next day, Tuesday 29th, we anchored off Co¬ 
rinth, at Leutrachi, in a small bay, surrounded by 
mountains, and scarcely a habitation visible. We 
found that to ride from thence to Athens by Me- 
gara would take two days, that there was only a 
bridle-road, and there were no inns; while an hour 
would be sufficient to take us across the isthmus 
to Callimachi, where we hoped to find some vessel 
to convey us to the Piraeus. A gig was prepared 
for Lord L. and me, and carts for the baggage; 
and we set off, accompanied by some strange, wild 
people, as guides. Worse countenances I never 
saw, and G.’s winks and shrugs, combined with 
his previously declared opinion, made one unwil¬ 
ling to trust to their care. 

The road was flat and good, the day lovely, and 
the scenery enchanting, and we had advanced 
about half way, when we were met by Captain 
Lyon, who had preceded us, and returned to say 
that there was no place at Callimachi, the only 
station, where we could possibly spend the night— 


LEUTRACHI. 


179 


no inn, no provisions, no boats, in fact, nothing. 
We were obliged to retrace our steps, and pass 
our evening again with the captain, who told us 
rather an amusing story, though I believe, an old 
one, of an Austrian and a French officer. The officer 
began, “ Mais voulez vous m’expliquer pourquoi 
vous vous battez ?” “ Mais pour Thonneur,” replied 
the Frenchman, “ et vous?” “ Four Targent,” an¬ 
swered the Austrian; “ chacun se bat pour ce qui 
lui manque.” 

We determined, if the answer did not come the 
next day from Athens, that we would devote it 
to visiting Corinth, and climbing the Acropolis. 
Being fine weather, we set out, the captain dis¬ 
liking the expedition, from his avowed bad opinion 
of the country and the people. “ Voila trente 

ans,” said he, “ que je suis dans ces parages, et je 

# 

les connais, ces animaux.” Then he told a story 
of the purser of a frigate who had lagged behind 
his companions in walking to Corinth, when all of 
a sudden they missed him, and though they imme¬ 
diately turned back, and ten minutes had not 
elapsed since they lost sight of him, no trace 

N 2 


180 


SIR EDMUND LYONS. 


of him was ever afterwards discovered. It is 
supposed he had been murdered for a large silver- 
gilt chain he wore round his neck; but neither he 
nor any thing belonging to him was ever again seen. 

Just as we were starting, a messenger arrived 
with a letter from Sir Edmund Lyons, saying 
that the Russian minister had, with great conside¬ 
ration, sent us a fine man-of-war cutter to take us 
to Athens; we therefore returned to the steamer 
to pack up, and at about three o’clock we all 
started as on the previous day. The distance be¬ 
tween the two seas is hardly five miles, and a more 
romantic country cannot be imagined. Wild, un¬ 
cultivated, and uninhabited, the descent into Cal- 
limachi was beautiful; the distant blue mountains, 
the sea like glass, and that peculiar colouring only 
seen in sunny southern climes. Even in winter, I 
am told, this favoured land has the myrtle and ole¬ 
ander in full bloom in the open air. 

On reaching the shore, we found the cutter lying 
in the bay, and we immediately went on board. 
She was a man-of-war, with twelve guns, fifty men, 
and eight officers. The want of wind and of dex- 


RUSSIAN MAN OF WAR. 


181 


terity in managing- the sails prevented our making 
much way; and we had recourse to the sweeps. 
The only accommodation was one very small cabin, 
with narrow seats. An excellent dinner had been 
provided by the Russian minister, who most kindly 
had the attention to send his cook and servants. 
The difficulty, however, was how to spend the 
night, repose for all parties being impossible. A 
sail was put up as a partition in the cabin, and my 
maid and I took possession of one side, Lord L., 
Captain Lyon, and Dr. Forbes, being on the other; 
and here, without beds, we settled ourselves, and 
passed some uncomfortable hours till daylight, 
when, to our great regret, we found that at least 
twelve of the thirty miles remained to be accom¬ 
plished. In despair at the prospect of another day 
and night on board, I asked the captain if we might 
have the boats, as the day was fine, and there was 

m 

no appearance of a breath of wind. He most civilly 
assented; three were speedily manned, and filled 
with people and luggage, and the eiglit-oared boat, 
in which we were, brought us in about three hours 
to the Piraeus. 


182 


TI1E ACROPOLIS. 


We found Sir Edmund Lyons’s carriage wait¬ 
ing for us, and the consul, Mr. Green, a very 
obliging person, ready to render all assistance. 
Rooms being taken at the Royal Hotel, Ma¬ 
dame Cassali’s, we at once drove there, and 
found a cold, straggling, Greek inn, where, 
however, two fireplaces were an unexpected 
luxury. We dined with Sir Edmund, a most 
hospitable, agreeable man. His house was com¬ 
fortable, with a marble hall and stairs, and 
must in summer be very pleasant, as the rooms 
above are warm and quite English in winter. On 
our return home we were glad to find the baggage 
safely arrived, the cutter having profited by a 
little breeze to get in. 

The next day, January 1st, the weather was 
clear, the morning bright, and we commenced the 
new year by ascending the far-famed Acropolis. 
It is necessary to have a permission, but, being 
accompanied by the English minister, no questions 
were asked, and the little door opened and ad¬ 
mitted us. Notwithstanding that our expectations 
were so raised, the coup d'ceil surpassed any idea I 


THE PARTHENON. 


183 


had formed of it; and to a mind early stored with 
classic lore and historical knowledge, the pleasure 
of this visit must be doubly increased. Still, even 
the unlearned beholder cannot fail to be struck with 
admiration at these stupendous and wonderful 
remains, the immense quantity and masses of mar¬ 
ble, as well as the magnificent situation. The 
first object that meets the eye is the propylcea or 
entrance to the Parthenon. It increases the regret 
caused by the destruction before one, to think that 
when time had respected these works, avarice, bar¬ 
barism, war, and the bad passions of mankind should 
have aggravated and extended the devastation and 
ruin; for, although earthquakes have shaken and 
centuries have passed over them, the chief injuries 
have been done by the atrocities of war, shells, 
balls, and gunpowder. On the right, on entering, 
is the Temple of Victory Apteros, a graceful 
building, lately discovered under a Turkish bat¬ 
tery, and skilfully put together. The columns are 
fluted Ionic; the whole is in miniature, being only 
twenty feet in length, but very beautiful, and is 
situated on a little eminence. 


184 


THE PARTHENON. 


Passing between this and the propylcea , the Par¬ 
thenon is before you. It stands on the highest 
spot of the hill; and the only feeling that disturbs 
the mind, while contemplating this unrivalled ruin, 
is regret and sorrow that it is no longer the per¬ 
fect fabric it was. After the first wonder-stricken 
gaze, on a closer examination of these massive 
columns, and seemingly impregnable masonry, the 
stranger not only marvels how such an edifice 
could have been finished in seven years, but that it 
ever was completed at all. The immense Doric co¬ 
lumns, above six feet in diameter, are fluted ; there 
are seventeen of a side; the whole of this and the 
other buildings of the Acropolis are of Pentelic 
marble. It was 228 feet long and 100 feet broad. 
In the interior space a mosque has been built, 
wherein are deposited some remains of cornices 
and statues. The view from here over the olive 
plain, the Piraeus, and the distant mountains, is 
very extensive and fine. From here is also seen 
the Areopagus, and the place where Saint Paul 
was brought up the steps, and preached. 

I heard an anecdote of an English captain of a 


TIIE PARTHENON. 


185 


merchant vessel, who came and entreated Mr. 
Hill, the American clergyman here, to show him 
this spot : he ascended it, and, pulling out his 
Bible, read some of the chapter's, preached there, 
and, after a short prayer, turned to depart, saying 
he meant to sail that night. “ Will you not visit 
some of the temples on the hill ?” said the minister. 
“ Oh no, sir,” replied the captain, “ I came to see 
this place, and have no desire to approach those 
profane buildings.” Nor could he be induced to 
change his decision. 

Lord L-wrote our names on one of the 

columns in front of the entrance of the Parthenon, 
to be perhaps read in after-years by our children, 
and children’s children. We then turned to the 
Erechtheum, a beautiful building, and, until the 
last twelve years, quite perfect. During the war 
in 1827, a Greek chief, with all his family, took 
refuge in its interior. A ball having nearly struck 
it, they covered the roof with earth. Another 
shot reached still nearer, and made them pile on 
more. During; the night, a tremendous rain caused 
the earth to swell, and thus the weight was so 



186 


TEMPLE OE THESEUS. 


increased that the roof fell in and killed seventeen 
persons, and, amongst the rest, several females 
perished. The southern portico is supported by 
caryatides, of which three only remain. One has 
been carried off to St. Petersburg, and another 
went to London among Lord Elgin’s spoils. 

The sacred olive tree grew here, and the sup¬ 
posed tomb of Cecrops is shown. Walking round 
the exterior, a spot where Lord Durham had 
climbed to cut his name was pointed out to us, 
but it was too high to be visible, even with glasses. 
We saw the Pnyx, or hill, the prison of Socrates. 
I was anxious to purloin a small bit of marble I 
had picked up, but the vigilant spies detected the 
theft, and took it from me as I descended the 
hill. 

We then drove to the Temple of Theseus, which 
stands by itself at the foot of the Acropolis. The 
walls, the roof, and thirty-four Doric columns, 
are perfect; it now forms the museum of Athens. 
The whole is of white Pentelic marble, but has 
turned a deep yellow, partly the effect of time, 
though there is no doubt much has been painted. 


TEMPLE OF JUPITER. 


187 


From thence we went to the Temple of Jupiter, 
the largest, finest, and last built of all the wonders 
of Athens. Only sixteen of 120 columns still 
exist, and these are indeed very fine. They are 
six feet and a half in diameter, fluted, and sixty 
feet high, with Corinthian capitals. The length 
of the building was 354 feet, the breadth 171, and 
the remains of the platform show the entire circuit 
must have been 2300 feet. The hills are full of 
inscriptions and classic recollections. 

It is to be regretted that King Qtho takes little 
interest in all these triumphs of genius and art; and 
I was told the queen came but once to see the Acro¬ 
polis. On the other hand, the King of Bavaria was 
well worthy of it; he paid fifty-six visits, saw it at 
sunset, watched it through the moonlight, and 
waited for the sun rising; but he was not suffered 
to carry any thing away. A wretched town is at 
its foot, and an immense palace is building for the 
king, who ought to have saved his money An¬ 
other purposes. I cannot imagine a more disagree¬ 
able residence than Athens: except for the occa¬ 
sional visits of strangers, it is dull and stupid. 


188 


PRESENTATION TO THE QUEEN. 


The summer is dusty and without shade, subject to 
fever and malaria, and the winter cold. 

On Sunday we attended divine service at Sir 
Edmund Lyons’s; the prayers were read by Mr. 
Leeves, and a long sermon was preached by Mr. 
Hill; but both spoke so low that the effort of 
listening was most painful, and sometimes totally 
useless. In the afternoon we drove to a place of 
great public resort, where an excellent band plays, 
and crowds assemble. While we were there, the 
royal procession arrived on horseback; King 
Otho in the Greek dress, the queen in a most un¬ 
becoming riding-habit, ugly hat, and green veil, 
and the Crown Prince of Bavaria, with their suites 
and attendants. 

Next day, Monday, 4th, was fixed for my pre¬ 
sentation to the queen, who was a Princess of 
Oldenburg, and is a very pleasing person, only 
twenty-two years of age. Lady Lyons accom¬ 
panied me, and we were received by a little old 
lady in blue, who mumbled out some civil speeches, 
and conducted us to the queen. She was simply 
attired, in a tight dress of dark velvet. Her man- 


189 


THE LANTERN OF LYSICRATES. 

ner is affable and good-natured ; her conversation 
was principally on the sufferings attendant on her 
expeditions, sickness, quarantine, &c. 

The dresses of the Albanians and Greeks but 
slightly differ from one another, and are very 
gay and gaudy : the jackets, vests, sleeves, and 
leggings, are of different coloured cloth or velvet, 
richly embroidered in gold or silver; the fus- 
tonella , or petticoat, which hangs like a kilt, is 
made on the principle of an umbrella, small at the 
top and full at the bottom, having between three 
and four hundred seams. The dress of the women 
is not pretty, though I saw it on the famed and 
beautiful Mdle. Botzaris. 

Tuesday, being our last day, was of course a 
busy one; and first I went to the banker’s, where I 
found an overpowering smell of tobacco, one clerk, 
and no money of any kind, not even dollars. He 
promised to procure some in an hour; meanwhile 
I went to see the lantern of Lysicrates, an elegant 
little temple, with Corinthian pillars, extremely 
small; but, when there was a series of them, (as it 
was customary for each person wdio w r on a prize to 


190 


REVIEW. 


build a tripod to place it upon,) the effect must 
have been very beautiful. They were all of white 
marble. 

At General Church’s I was shown the portraits 
of the famous Capitani in the Greek war ; an in¬ 
teresting collection, which contains pictures of 
three of the Botzaris. The general presented me 
with a sketch of Cape Colonna. 

A great review was to take place, and to this I 
went with Lady Lyons, hoping to see some of the 
Greek costumes. There were about 500 men, partly 
infantry, partly lancers, dressed in imitation of the 
Bavarian troops. The general appearance of the 
crowd was picturesque. The Suliote fez, th e fus- 
tonella petticoat, the costume of the wild Palikari, 
all added to the novelty of the scene. A grand 
dinner and evening party at the Austrian minister’s 
closed our stay at Athens, which we prepared to 
leave with extreme regret. 

Wednesday morning had been, however, fixed 
for our departure, and we reached the Piraeus about 
eight o’clock. The Russian cutter lay there, and 
the captain immediately manned her three boats, 


CALLIMACHI. 


191 


and came to assist us in getting off. This vessel, 
as well as a Russian brig just arrived, had been 
kindly offered to take us to Callimachi, but, dread¬ 
ing the uncertainty of the wind, we thankfully 
accepted King Otlio’s fine steamer. On going on 
board, we were saluted by the Russian brig, which 
was returned by the steamer, and our luggage, 
being all stowed, we started; and, after a rough 
passage of five hours, arrived at Callimachi. The 
captain, who was a Greek, and a sailor from child¬ 
hood, said he had never been at school, and he 
spoke nothing intelligible but a very little Italian. 
The lieutenant, a gentlemanlike young man, was a 
son of Admiral Miaulis, and, having been educated 
in England, spoke English well. 

At Callimachi we found the village quite alive, 
and no one sober, it being the 6th (old Christmas 
day), and with the Greeks kept as the true one. It 
was therefore with difficulty we succeeded in getting 
the gig and carts to convey us and our baggage 
across the isthmus. To my astonishment, the old 
Spartan, who drove the first vehicle, was a cousin 
of the captain’s, and a most cordial greeting ensued 


192 


ISLAND OF ZANTE. 


between them. At length the carts were loaded, 
and another hour found us on board our friend 

Captain G-’s steamer. He was in great spirits, 

delighted at our return, and pleased at having 
finished his portraits of all the crew, as well as his 
verses, which contained a journal of our passage 
from Corfu. 

The captain was more amusing than ever. He 
told us that Napoleon never asked his soldiers if 
they were happy, but if they had courage. “ Que 
ce n’etait pas le tapage mais la solidite qui venoit 
a bout de tout—que c’etoit les baionettes et non 
pas les tambours qui prenoient la forteresse.” 

We ran on through the night, and reached Zante 
early next morning, where we anchored. The 
yachts of our friends, the cutter and the schooner, 
were already there; but' the City of Dublin 
steamer, in which our passage to Malta was taken, 
had not arrived, nor did it seem by any means cer¬ 
tain when she would make her appearance. We 
went on shore to see the island, and witnessed the 
ruin and devastation caused by the late severe 
earthquake. On all sides were destruction, ruins, 



VOYAGE TO MALTA. 


193 


heaps of stones, shaken rocks, and crumbling walls. 
Notwithstanding this, a finer scene can hardly be 
viewed than on ascending the high castle hill at 
the foot of which the town lies, the distant moun¬ 
tains, the sea, the bay, the shipping, the orange 
and lemon trees, the dusky olive woods, contrasted 
with the white country-houses; while the air is 
perfumed with roses and geranium, and this, too, 
in the month of January. 

Here we remained, living on board the Ionian 
yacht. On the 8th, the weather was squally and 
disagreeable ; the party dined on board the Merlin, 
and had some difficulty in getting there and back 
in the boat. Next day, towards evening, the City 
of Dublin steamer arrived; and we found our 
children, whom we had left at Corfu to follow us, 
safe. They had had a bad passage, and suffered 
much from stormy weather and a severe earth¬ 
quake off Patras, which we had not felt in the least, 
so partial are these shocks. 

We had a run of fifty hours to Malta, where we 
arrived at one o’clock on the morning of the 12tli. 
The excuse, however, of having seen the harbour 


o 


194 


QUARANTINE. 


light before twelve o’clock on Monday night was 
admitted, and we were transferred from this dirty 
vessel to the Lazzaretto, and allowed to count our 
quarantine from the 11 th ; and in this dreary 
abode, with stone floors and stone walls, cut off 
from the rest of the world, we vegetated five whole 
days. On the 7th of exile, and 17tli of the month, 
we were allowed to issue forth ; and the governor, 
Sir Henry Bouverie, having, with great conside¬ 
ration, lent us his country-house, “ The Lions,” a 
charming summer residence, about three miles 
from Valetta, with a beautiful garden filled with 
orange and lemon trees, we proceeded to settle 
ourselves there. 

The harbours here are fine, deep, and spacious, 
and Yaletta seems a large, clean town ; but the 
whole appearance of the island is bleak and 
barren; not a tree, nor bit of green, nor shade 
for the eye to rest on; all is rock, stone, glare, 
dust, and sun; except a cactus, or an occasional 
prickly pear, nothing like a shrub or hedge is 
visible. The stone is yellow and soft, but sightly 
for building, and the effect clean and pretty. On 


CATHEDRAL OF ST. JOHN. 


195 


the 18th we dined with a large party at the Gover¬ 
nor’s. 

Three weeks at Malta, one of which was spent 
in quarantine, that most irritating, aggravating, 
and worrying position, passed slowly enough, and 
we joyfully accepted the offer of being taken in 
the Dream, to see Sicily, on our way to Naples. 
We had seen the lions of Malta, and had suffi¬ 
ciently deplored its barrenness and dullness: we 
likewise visited the cathedral of St. John, which, 
in days of yore, when the paintings were bright 
and the gildings fresh, must have been gorgeously 
magnificent. The pavement is of pietra dura , cover¬ 
ing the tombs of the knights; the altar has the 
rails and doors of solid silver, and was saved by 
being painted black during the time of the French, 
who committed various barbarous atrocities, pii. 
laged every thing, and broke and defaced much of 
the fine pavement. 

On the 1st of February we embarked on board 
the Dream, accompanied, as usual, by the Merlin, 
and joined by the Therese, Lord Desart’s cutter. 
In the morning a bright sun and a fresh wind gave 

o 2 


196 


VOYAGE TO PALERMO. 


every hope of a favourable passage. We left the 
harbour filled with our gallant vessels of war, the 
Ganges, the Implacable, and the Edinburgh in 
quarantine; the Hastings and the Asia ready, the 
latter preparing, for sea. When we were outside, 
it was discovered that the wind would not serve so 
well for Messina as to go round the other side of 
the island of Sicily to Palermo, the principal ob¬ 
ject of interest; we therefore were obliged to give 
up the former. We were soon abandoned by Lord 
Desart, whose destination was Alexandria. 

The evening of the second day brought us within 
twenty miles of Palermo, in sight of a command¬ 
ing, wild, bold coast. Here we lay becalmed, 
viewing the mountains we so anxiously wished to 
get round. While we were listlessly gazing on 
the glassy deep, a turtle was discovered asleep. 
Some of the sailors proposed trying to catch it; 
accordingly the boat was lowered, and they ap¬ 
proached so gently as not to disturb its slumbers, 
till with a boat-hook they turned it over on its 
back, before it had time to recover itself. It was 
a small one, of the hawk-billed description, and, 


PALERMO AND ITS ENVIRONS. 


197 


consequently, not of the best sort. Nevertheless, 
we put it in a bucket of water, and fed it with 
bread. Another was seen, but, being wider awake 
than its companion, was not caught. 

Early on the morning of the 4th we entered the 
bay of Palermo. The weather was delicious, and as 
warm as July, and it was impossible to decide which 
was the clearer and brighter, the sea or the sky, 
though both were of that deep blue never seen in our 
gloomy isle. The first impression at Palermo is 
that of finding oneself in a deserted place, sur¬ 
rounded by faded grandeur, and remains of better 
days; but the beauty of the situation, and the 
picturesque appearance of the whole, baffle de¬ 
scription. The churches, palaces, and houses are 
generally pretty good, and a quay, or raised ter¬ 
race by the sea, called the Marina, is overlooked 
by fine buildings, ending with gardens much to be 
admired. Still I was disappointed, as I vainly 
sought the Asiatic minarets and eastern palm- 
trees, described by Mrs. Starke. However, after 
the stony barrenness of Malta, the shade, the ver¬ 
dure, and the foliage, were doubly refreshing. Hie 


198 


THE PALAZZO REALE. 


people at the custom-house were extremely trouble¬ 
some, and insisted upon opening every box, which, 
considering our stay was not to exceed thirty-six 
hours, seemed an unnecessary ceremony. The inn 
was straggling and dirty, combining the luxury of 
satin mattresses, with tiled floors and unwashed 
stone stairs. While our luggage was unpacking, 
we drove to La Favorita, the summer palace of the 
king. The road lay through an avenue of pepper- 
trees, groves of orange and lemon, and olive- 
woods. The distance is about four miles from 
Palermo; roses and hyacinths were in full bloom, 
with a July day. The gardens are neglected and 
ill kept, but with little trouble might be restored 
to their pristine excellence. We passed a fountain 
surrounded by yew-trees of great size, and en¬ 
tered this Chinese villa. We climbed to the top, 
and were repaid by a magnificent view of the high 
mountains, Monte Pellegrino, with its rugged as¬ 
cent, and the distant city; while the blue sea was 
likewise visible on three sides. 

We then drove to the Palazzo Reale. It is 
necessary to be provided with orders for admit- 


SIIKINE OF ST. ROSALIA. 


199 


tance, but these are not refused, nor is there any 
difficulty about procuring them. The chapel of 
the palace is remarkable; it is not large, but in 
good taste, and lined with gold mosaic. This old 
style is both precious and costly, and the figures 
look like lapis lazuli, while the ground is the best 
ducat gold. Every thing is done in pietra dura ; 
twelve Egyptian marble columns support the roof, 
as well as others of valuable porphyry. In the 
time of the Saracens this church was a mosque. 
The doors are modern, only just finished; they are 
handsome, of inlaid wood, with two pieces of elabo¬ 
rate carving, one of “ Our Saviour’s walking on the 
Sea,” the other, “ Giving the Keys to Saint Peter.” 
They were a year making, and cost ,£140. 

Kear this church is the duomo , the exterior of 
which has great merit, but the inside is poor and 
cold, and struck me as out of proportion, and too 
long for its width. The shrine of St. Rosalia was 
by chance open, and we had thus an opportunity 
of seeing the famous sarcophagus, which is of silver, 
and said to weigh between 1200 and 1300 pounds. 

Next day we visited some of the marble shops, 


200 


MONTREALE. 


and, having purchased some tables of the different 
Sicilian specimens, finding the day cloudy, and the 
ascent to the top of Monte Pellegrino rugged and 
long, we abandoned the attempt, and drove to 
Montreale, a town about four miles off. The view 
as we wound round the ascent to the cathedral re¬ 
paid us for all our trouble. The building itself is 
ancient and costly, with a profusion of marbles, 
pietra dura , and fine old mosaics. 

In the evening we embarked. A silver moon 
made the scene as light as day, and it was with re¬ 
gret that we bid adieu to Palermo. The night 
was calm, but a breeze brought us in twenty-four 
hours off Capri. Here, however, we were obliged 
to lay-to till day, and, the wind getting up, added 
to a disagreeable short sea, caused us to spend two 
or three uncomfortable hours till daylight, when 
we entered the Bay of Naples, and anchored about 

the same time as the French steamer which brought 

© 

our children, who had come direct from Malta. 
The day was passed by Lord L. in searching for a 
lodging; and, after much difficulty, it was de¬ 
termined that we should dine on board the Dream, 


CARNIVAL BALLS. 


201 


and then take possession of rooms at the Belle Vue 
Hotel. These we found inconvenient, bad, and 
small. We went the next evening to see the St. 
Carlos, so famed as a theatre. It is larger than 
our Opera House, but not so large as the Scala at 
Milan; still, I admire it more than the latter, for 
its shape and decorations. The effect when lighted 
up must be beautiful. There seemed, however, 
little chance of our witnessing this exhibition, as 
it is only done on great fetes. The singing was 
bad, the dancing worse, and the only thing to be 
admired is the coup cVceil of the theatre. We 
found afterwards the apartments at the Vittoria, 
recently occupied by Queen Adelaide, vacant, and 
accordingly we engaged them. On moving in, 
however, they proved as little desirable as our 
previous quarters, but, having engaged them for a 
month, there was no resource but patience. 

During the remainder of the carnival, at which 
period we had arrived, balls were given every 
night. The first I attended was at Count Lebzel- 
tern’s, the Austrian minister : he is married to a 
Russian lady, of the Troubetskoi family. The house 


202 COURT BALL. 

is good, and the ball-room fine, well lighted, and 
tastefully decorated. We were presented to the 
king and queen. The latter, who is near her con¬ 
finement, appeared suffering. She is an Austrian, 
a daughter of the Archduke Charles, and seems a 
good-natured little person. The king conversed 
with me for some time. The next ball I went to 
was at Baron Rothschild’s, the banker. This fa¬ 
mily, by their wealth and hospitality, font la pluie 
et le beau temps at Naples. The fete was perfect of 
the kind, the court was present, the dresses bright 
and elegant, and the supper, which the company 
did not seem to spare, magnificent. 

I was then prevented by illness from going out 
for some days, and my first “ sortie ” was for the 
court ball. The palace, as I had afterwards an 
opportunity of judging by going over the whole, is 
one of the most regal in Europe, and is of sur¬ 
prising size. Part of it has been rebuilt by the 
present king, but much remains to be done. Mag¬ 
nificence and taste are combined in every detail. 
Thick French velvets, carpets strewed with the 
brightest wreaths of flowers, damask and satin 


MASKED BALLS. 


203 


hangings from Lyons of every hue, gorgeous gild¬ 
ings and dazzling lustres, adorn the endless suites 
of splendid state apartments ; while the private 
suites, with scagliola floors and brilliant paint¬ 
ings, done from designs at Pompeii, are equally 
to be noticed, though in a more simple taste. The 
altar-piece in the chapel is richly inlaid with lapis 
lazuli, agates and gold. The situation of this 
truly royal residence is well chosen, communica¬ 
ting with the St. Carlos theatre. Masked balls 
are given at the latter on Thursdays and Sundays 
during the carnival; the pit is boarded, the house 
illuminated, and parties are formed to sup in the 
boxes, which are thrown together for the occasion. 
We availed ourselves of Baron Rothschild’s box to 
view the novel scene, but when we arrived at 
eleven o’clock not a candle was lighted. I after¬ 
wards learnt from the queen that her plan for the 
enjoyment of this gaiety was to go to bed at seven, 
and get up at eleven or twelve o’clock. I ven¬ 
tured to ask her majesty how she had courage to 
leave her bed, and how she succeeded in waking 
herself up ? She told me this was done by washing 


204 


ACTON PALACE. 


her face in vinegar and water, and that she was 
ready for her supper at one o’clock, and that from 
that moment, till two or three, was the gayest and 
best part of the ball. 

A fete was given by the French ambassador, the 
Duke de Montebello, an agreeable gentlemanlike 
man, married to a handsome English woman, Miss 
Jenkinson; it was in the Acton palace, which is 
said to be one of the best houses at Naples. The 
garden was illuminated, and the ball-room had an 
inlaid parquet, which appeared delightful for the 
dancers, after the carpeted, marble, stone, or tiled 
floors in other houses. The court, as usual, were 
here, the king often joining in the dance. I heard 
a curious circumstance respecting this house : it is 
for sale, but, no one being rich enough to make 
the entire purchase, it was said it would be dis¬ 
posed of by rooms, and, as it is all passage, I do 
not envy the persons who may inhabit it piece¬ 
meal, though as a whole it is a delightful resi¬ 
dence. 

On Sunday we attended church; the service is 
performed in a long room, and so well attended, 


SHROVE TUESDAY AMUSEMENTS. 


205 


that it is difficult to obtain seats. During the 
afternoon the band plays in the Villa Reale, a 
garden by the sea, that is the great resort and 
public promenade of Naples. I went next day to 
a ball given at the Academy; it was remarkably 
well managed, although a public one. A fine 
room, supported by four pillars, and brilliantly 
lighted, was filled with dancers, while double rows 
of seats were placed round the room for the chape¬ 
rons. 

Shrove Tuesday, being the last day of the car¬ 
nival, was spent by the people in the Corso in 
pelting and being pelted, an amusement in which 
I own I never could see any fun. Having driven 
there perfectly unconscious of what was going on, 
I had not taken the necessary precaution of put¬ 
ting down the glasses of the carriage, and in one 
moment they were smashed by the sugar-plums, 
to the delight of the people, who seldom have so 
great a treat, or meet with any one so little ini¬ 
tiated in carnival rejoicing. A fancy ball was 
given by the Russian minister, and a quadrille of 
brigands was well got up. 


206 


LADY BLESSINGTON’S VILLA. 


The gaieties being over, we had more time and 
strength for morning expeditions. We drove one 
day to Lady Blessington’s lovely but deserted villa, 
the Belvidere palace. It is a little way out of 
Naples, situated on a height, and commands an 
extensive view of the far-famed bay. I have heard 
comparisons drawn between it and the Bosphorus, 
but I cannot go so far as to prefer it to the latter, 
where the two shores of Europe and Asia, the 
purple sea, the hills on either side covered with 
white minarets, graceful mosques, and tall cy¬ 
presses, the three great cities, Pera, Galata, and 
Stamboul, seem all spread as on a map. In short, 
Constantinople, a cheval sur la mer entre deux par¬ 
ties du monde , when aided by climate, and the co¬ 
louring of an eastern sun, certainly presents a 
spectacle so unrivalled as to defy comparison. 
Here, however, the bay and the magnificent range 
of mountains, the smoking volcano, the islands of 
Capri, &c., and the extraordinary formation of the 
shore, no doubt claim their share of merit, which I 
am most ready to admit. 

The museum is a building to which every day 


POMPEII. 


207 


adds interest, as new discoveries are made, and 
fresh treasures excavated at Pompeii and Hercula¬ 
neum. The library is a great room, with a won¬ 
derful echo. The Severin chapel contains speci¬ 
mens of sculpture; a veiled female, representing 
Modesty, is admirably executed, and a man, extri¬ 
cating himself from a net, emblematical of the 
struggle to get free from the toils of Vice, is beau¬ 
tifully done in marble. A dead Christ is also 
worthy of note. 

We one day visited a quarter of the city occu¬ 
pied by the Jews, and called Old Naples. Here 
are alleys of small shops, principally filled with 
jewellery of an inferior description; but the scene 
is curious, and reminded me of the Bezensteins at 
Constantinople. 

After a fortnio-ht’s residence at the Hotel Vit- 

o 

toria, we were unable to bear any longer the dis¬ 
comfort of it, and at last determined to move to 
the Crocelli, a large and good hotel. 

We visited Pompeii, a curious and interesting 
place, seen with tenfold pleasure after reading Sir 
E. Bulwer’s novel. The baths pleased me particu- 


208 


FIRE AT WYNYARD. 


larly, and the freshness of some of the fresco 
paintings and mosaic pavements is wonderful, when 
one considers that eighteen centuries have passed 
over them. It is this reflection that gives so much 
interest to Pompeii, for I own I was disappointed 
at finding the houses in such complete ruin. Her¬ 
culaneum is actually under Portici, but I was afraid 
of the cold and damp, and did not visit it. 

At this time we received the distressing intelli¬ 
gence of the calamitous fire at Wynyard, and the 
destruction of every thing we had passed twenty 
years in collecting and constructing. We were 
overwhelmed with grief, and a severe illness con¬ 
fined me for three weeks to my bed, and prevented 
my seeing more of the wonders of Naples. We 
met with universal sympathy and kindness during 
this period of moral and physical suffering. 


CHAPTER VIII. 


Departure from Naples—Mola di Gaeta—Albano—Arrival at 
Rome—St. Peter’s— Studios of Rome—The English sculptors, 
Macdonald and Gibson; Thorwaldsen, Guaccarini, Terraciani — 
Extraordinary model of Psestum— The Capitol — Anecdote 
— Borghese Gallery — Doria Palace — St. Peter’s on Palm 
Sunday — Torlonia Palace — St. John of Lateran — Borghese 
Chapel—The death of Youth—Villa Borghese—The Pantheon— 
Departure from Rome—Impositions of Postmasters—Road to 
Florence — Schneider’s Hotel — Bartolini — Pitti Palace —Leg¬ 
horn—Steam to Marseilles—‘Home. 


P 


A 

f MtW YORK, N, Y, 


LIBRARY 




DEPARTURE FROM NAPLES. 


211 


CHAPTER VIII, 

As soon as I was sufficiently recovered to move, 
we determined to bend our steps toward our 
ruined home, and see the extent of desolation. 
Accordingly, on Thursday, the 25th, we left 
Naples in a heavy laden britzska ; the children 
being all packed in an enormous berlin or di¬ 
ligence which we hired for the occasion. The roads 
are excellent and the driving good, and we easily 
reached Mola di Gaeta that night. Here we found 
comfortable beds and a good supper, prepared at 
the Villa Cicerone, a very tolerable hotel, and next 
morning we were delighted with the view around 
us. The beautiful bay, the calm blue sea, the 
olive forests, the citron and olive grove, reminded 
me once more of Spain. 

We had a long day over the Pontine Marshes 

p 2 


212 


ARRIVAL AT ROME. 


to Villetri. Next day, we passed through some 
pretty country, to Albano; here we were met 
by the disagreeable tidings that no lodgings were 
to be had in Rome. We however went on, and 
had the pleasure of sitting in the carriage while 
the different hotels, “ de l’Europe,” “ de Russie,” 
&c., were examined; at last we took possession, 
for a week, of the Duchess of Cambridge’s suite 
of apartments, at Les Res Britanniques. 

Next day, Sunday the 28th, we hurried off, with 
uncontrollable impatience, to St. Peter’s. Six¬ 
teen years ago it struck me as the grandest thing 
imaginable. Since that period, we had gazed on 
the Kremlin at Moscow, and the Kasan Church at 
Petersburgh, under a cold northern sky; we had 
admired the Seville Cathedral, under a burning’ 
southern sun ; we had stood in St. Sophia, and 
seen it filled with turbaned Moslemin ;—but all 
faded before this immense, this magnificent, this 
highly-finished and unique Temple. Eustace’s ac¬ 
count of this unrivalled fabric is the clearest, 
truest, and best ever given. 

He concludes it by saying, “ In magnitude, ele- 


STUDIOS OF ROME. 


213 


vation, opulence, and beauty, the Church of St. 
Peter’s has no rival, and bears no comparison in 
neatness, cleanliness, and convenience, so necessary 
to the advantageous display of magnificence: if 
anywhere equalled, it can nowhere be surpassed. 
It is cool in summer, and in winter dry and warm ; 
the portals are ever open, and whether attracted 
by devotion or curiosity, every one may range 
over it at leisure, and without being molested or 
even noticed, either to contemplate its beauties or 
to pour out fervent prayers before its altars. 
Thus, the Basilica Vaticana unites the perfection 
of art with the beauty of holiness, and may justly 
claim the affection and reverence of the traveller, 
both as the temple of taste and the sanctuary of 
religion.” 

It was Lent, and unfortunately for us the great 
Mosaics are always covered during that period, 
while scaffolding was erecting for the ceremonies of 
the Holy Week. 

The Studios next demanded our attention ; and 
w r e commenced by visiting Macdonald, a Scotch 
artist, whose branch of sculpture is principally 


214 


STUDIOS OF ROME. 


busts, some of which are wonderfully like. His 
rooms were lined with casts of well-known faces, 
Lord and Lady Canning, Lord and Lady Abercorn, 
Lord and Lady Powerscourt, Lord Douglas, Miss 
Stuart, &c. Our stay was too short for the exe¬ 
cution of a bust, even had I been tempted to add 
mine to the collection. His price is £50. 

We next went to Gibson, the first artist in Rome, 
excepting Thorwaldsen. He is a Welshman, but 
has resided here for twenty years. He declines 
executing busts and statues, and prefers fancy sub¬ 
jects. We saw a beautiful groupe just finished for 
the Grand Duke of Russia, two colossal statues of 
Mr. Huskisson, a Shepherd Love for Lord Crewe, 
and a fine design of a Hunter holding his Dog. 
Most of the statues were priced at three or four 
hundred guineas. Mr. Gibson conducted us to Mr. 
Wyatt’s studio, and here we saw a beautiful piece 
of sculpture—a Nymph undressing for the Bath. 

Thorwaldsen’s atelier was the finest of all, though 
the presence of the master spirit was wanting, he 
being gone to his native land, to place the colossal 
statues of our Saviour and the Twelve Apostles in 


STUDIOS OF ROME. 


215 


the great Church at Copenhagen. A pupil of his, 
however, shewed us all, and then conducted us to 
his own works, where I saw a pretty statue of 
Bacchus, for which he demanded j£l50. He re¬ 
jected our offer of ^100, hut some time afterwards 
he sent to say he would accept it. Here we saw 
also several fine statues for the Duke of Torlonia. 

We next went to Guaccarini’s, who was recom¬ 
mended to us by Baron Rothschild, and who 
is taken up principally with the execution of 
busts, which he does for thirty napoleons ; but 

thev are far inferior to Macdonald’s. He un- 

«/ 

dertook to model my hand, and a most disagreeable 
operation I found it. 

At Terraciani’s we saw busts and figures of 
Lord Abercorn’s children ; but we had no time to 
undertake any thing. He shewed us a Flora just 
finished for Baron Rothschild, at Naples. Bien 
Aimee, another Italian sculptor, had some very 
admirable statues; and here I bought some 
marble slabs for tables. Vanderben’s studio con¬ 
tained but one object of interest, a colossal statue 
of Eve, at the moment the Serpent is offering the 


216 


STUDIOS OF ROME. 


apple. It is executed for a Prussian Count. I did 
not admire this extraordinary statue. The face 
was not interesting, and the size prevented 
that delicacy and perfection of proportion so 
requisite for female loveliness. Wolfe has exe¬ 
cuted two figures of Amazons, one wounded and 
supported by the other, for Lord Grosvenor. 
Gott’s studio contains some very clever works—a 
Gladiator, a Dancing Girl, and many others. He 
is an Englishman, and has acknowledged talent. 

Running hastily through these studios, the mind 
gets confused and bewildered; and it would 
require time and repeated visits to define accu¬ 
rately and justly the merits of all one sees. 

In the shops there is a great sameness; the 
same models, the same mosaics, the same columns, 
the same tables of variegated marble; and I saw no¬ 
thing very remarkable excepting at Rinaldi’s, where 
a picture of the Temples at Psestum, in the finest 
mosaic, was for sale, at the price of one thousand 
guineas; and at Sibella’s a large malachite table, 
ornamented with bouquets of pietra dura , and a 
slab of lapis lazuli : for this <£1,800 was asked. 


THE CAPITOL. 


217 


The Capitol is only open for two hours one day 
in the week. In the middle of the square are a 
fine equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius, and the 
statues of Castor and Pollux, each holding his 
horse. One side of this palace is filled with an¬ 
tique statues, among them the famous one of 
the Dying Gladiator. Here also are those match¬ 
less antique statues, the Laocoon, the Apollo Belvi- 
dere, and a fine Cleopatra. In another small hall 
are three beautiful works of Canova, the Antinous, 
and two Gladiators. An immense porphyry bath 
is also placed in one of the halls. 

The pictures are not so favoured as the statues. 
The latter are arranged in fine lofty galleries, while 
the former are ill placed in dark, bad rooms. 
The Transfiguration, by Raphael, and the St. 
Jerome, of Domenichino, are however better 
treated, and meet with the respect and admiration 
they merit. Here are the famed sybils, one by 
Guercino, the other by Domenichino, some Alba- 
son, and a Guido Reni of great beauty, the subject, 
a soul in the state of beatitude. 

Our cicerone showed us a Correggio, the only 


218 


BORGHESE GALLERY. 


one, lie said, in Rome; and he related a story, 
that it had been purchased by an English noble¬ 
man at Bologna, but that the Government, hearing 
of this, would not allow it to leave the country, 
and bought it themselves. I was not a little sur¬ 
prised to find that Lord Londonderry was the 
nobleman alluded to. 

We visited the Borghese Gallery, which is open 
every day till three o’clock. The cold was intense, 
and I was afraid to linger. The rooms are on the 
ground floor, and were filled with artists, copying 
different pictures. In this respect great liberality 
is shown, and the collection thrown open, to the 
advantage and improvement of the public. The 
most remarkable picture here is that of Csesar 
Borgia by Raphael. It was sad to walk through 
these halls, attended by the servants in deep 
mourning for the young princess, who, with three 
of her infant children, were carried off by scarlet 
fever in twenty-two days. 

From hence we went to the Doria Palace; and, 
having gone through the gallery and admired the 
Claudes and Guercinos, we requested permission 


ST. PETER’S ON PALM SUNDAY. 


219 


to see the princess’s apartments. Having known 
her in England, and often invited her to my own 
parties, I rather flattered myself she would have 
received 11 s graciously. I was, however, greatly 
mistaken, for, after waiting a little time, the ser¬ 
vant brought an answer that the Princess was in 
her room, that consequently the apartments were 
not to be seen that day, but that we might re¬ 
turn on some other occasion. 

Our departure from Rome being fixed, the last 
day was a busy one. I did not attempt to enter 
St. Peter’s on Palm Sunday, feeling weak and un¬ 
equal to the exertion, consequently I lost a very 
interesting and imposing spectacle ; the procession 
of the Pope and the Cardinals, and the raising and 
blessing of the palms, take place on this occasion. 
Early on Monday morning w r e went to the Tor- 
lonia Palace. It is to be finished in three or four 
years, and two hundred workmen are constantly 
employed. The entrance into a court filled with 
statues and marble seats is fine. Folding doors 
011 one side opened on a beautiful groupe of 
Gibson’s. I know not if it is bad taste, but I own 


220 


TORLONIA PALACE. 


I admire some slight lines and tips of gold mixed 
with the white marble. Perhaps it is not strictly 
correct, but the effect is certainly very pretty. 
The staircase is entirely marble, and continuing to 
the third story, the dado of the same, and the 
walls scagliola, the whole of the finest polish. The 
first floor is for state reception. The whole was 
filled with workmen and scaffolding, and was in a 
most unfinished state. At the end of an immense 
gallery, under a fine dome, stood Canova’s colossal 
statue of Hercules. The second floor was in the 
same style. Furniture had arrived from Paris, 
but was not unpacked. The third, the highest 
and last floor, was destined for the occupation of 
the family, who certainly do not appear to under¬ 
stand the luxury of comfort, however much they 
may enjoy the advantage of wealth. Here we 
were first shown a beautiful little Gothic chapel, 
painted and gilt, and really a perfect gem. The 
rooms were smaller, and fitted up with taste and 
elegance, in different coloured silks and velvets. 
The marble chimney-pieces were small, beautiful, 
and of snowy whiteness ; the windows commanded 
a view of the Corso. 


ST. JOHN OF LATERAN. 


221 


We next visited St. Giovanni di Lateran, a 
church of great size, and filled with magnificent 
marbles. The pavement is mosaic; and there are 
colossal marble statues of the twelve apostles, six 
on each side. They are of single blocks, and cost 
500 scudi each. The Corsini chapel contains 
much fine sculpture, several columns of vcrde 
antique , and a porphyry tomb of Agrippa, found 
in the Pantheon. 

From hence we drove to the Santa Maria Mag- 
giore church, which stands on the summit of the 
Esquiline hill. The nave is supported by Ionic 
columns of white marble, and this gives more the 
appearance of a gallery than a church. We were 
met by an old monk, who refused our request to 
see the Borghese chapel, till we had seen that of 
Sixtus, as he said the most beautiful should 
always be reserved till the last. It is, however, 
very fine, filled with sculpture, fine marbles, and 
verde antique columns. 

The Borghese chapel is the richest in Rome; 
the altar-piece and altar are of lapis lazuli, en¬ 
crusted with precious stones. The rarest alabas- 


222 


VILLA BORGHESE. 


ter abounds here. Under the fine pavement of this 
splendid chapel, 

“ Without a stone to mark the spot,” 

lay the young princess and her children. I cannot 
describe the mournful impression and melancholy 
feelings this sad event produced in my mind. To 
behold any young creature beginning life in so bril¬ 
liant and happy a position is pleasing and inte¬ 
resting ; to hear she was suddenly snatched away 
by unlooked-for sickness and rapid disease, is pain¬ 
ful and distressing even to a passing stranger, and 
awakens serious reflection on the transitory and 
fleeting nature of all worldly grandeur and earthly 
happiness; but to witness a young mother and 
three infant children carried off “ at one fell 
swoop” is heartrending, and casts a gloom it is 
difficult, if not impossible, to shake off, till “ change 
of scene brings change of thought.” 

The Villa Borghese is about a mile from Rome, 
and a great resource to the inhabitants, who walk, 
drive, and ride here. It is laid out in the Italian 
style and much decorated, though now neglected 
and ill kept. The house is literally on the ground 


DEPARTURE FROM ROME. 


223 


floor, lined and filled with marbles and statues, 
and upstairs is placed the famous and beautiful 
statue of Yenere Vincitrice. 

* 

We saw the Pantheon, which is the oldest 
church in Rome, and is ill kept and in a dilapi¬ 
dated state, stripped, as it now is, of all its finest 
things. And thus ended our sight-seeing in Rome, 
which we prepared to leave next day, Tuesday, 
6th, after a brief but most interesting residence of 
only ten days. 

We left Rome by the Piazza del Popolo, the 
finest entrance into the Holy City. Our first day 
was to Viterbo ; though only six posts and a half, 
we were nearly eleven hours toiling at it; but in 
the Roman States every thing proves bad govern¬ 
ment ; and bad roads, bad horses, bad, insolent, 
postillions delayed us at every stage, while the 
cheating about the number of horses was quite 
unbearable. We resisted the demand of six horses 
for a britzska with six people, that had always tra¬ 
velled with only four; but it was in vain to seek re¬ 
dress from such imposition: neither postmaster nor 
director were even visible ; and, instead of finding, 


224 


IMPOSITIONS OF POSTMASTERS. 


as in France, where all this is admirably arranged, 
a book wherein one’s grievances could be stated, for 
five posts we were forced to submit to cheating, 
insolence, and extortion. At Ronciglione we, 
however, found a civil director, who spoke French 
(an insolent ostler having produced a tariff, dated 
1816.) But, although he declared we were right, 
and had been grossly cheated, the only change 
effected was that eight horses were attached, and 
we were expected to pay for only six. 

Once out of the Roman states all went smoothly; 
the four horses were ready, no more were proposed, 
and, from the happy hour we bade the Papal terri¬ 
tory adieu, not a dispute arose or an unreasonable 
demand was made, and we reached Florence in 
safety. We found it impossible to make the jour¬ 
ney in less than four days, and we slept the last 
night at a wretched inn, at a small place called 
St. Chirico. I should not advise any one to follow 
our example. 

From Sienna to Florence, the road lies through a 
beautiful country; the vine seems to flourish and 
to receive great care and cultivation. We admired 


LEGHORN. 


225 


the distant view of the Duomo, while we wound 
round the deep ravine previous to entering Flo¬ 
rence, and we proceeded to take possession of our 
apartments at Schneider’s Hotel. 

My first visit was to Bartolini, the sculptor. 
I found little change in him, although sixteen or 
eighteen years had flown since we had last met, and 
his labours and anxieties seemed daily increasing. 
I was very much gratified by seeing the studio of 
this great artist: it is full of interest. Notwith¬ 
standing, however, the shortness of our stay, and 
the multiplicity of his engagements, I succeeded 
in prevailing upon him to undertake a bust of 
my son, in which he succeeded with his usual 
skill. 

Being Easter time, the galleries were closed, 
and it was with some difficulty we gained per¬ 
mission to walk through the Pitti Palace, and 
gaze once more on that matchless collection of 
pictures. 

From Florence we had a short journey to Leg¬ 
horn, where we remained one night. We took a 
hasty view of the different marble shops, and 


226 


STEAM TO MARSEILLES. 


having made some purchases of tables, chimney 
pieces, slabs, &c., we embarked in the evening 
in the Amsterdam steamer, which is reckoned the 
best between Naples and Marseilles. 

The night was rough and disagreeable; but, dis¬ 
liking the accommodation below, I remained on 
deck in the carriage till the next morning, when 
we found ourselves at Genoa, with leave to go on 
shore for the day, a permission of which we gladly 
availed ourselves. Four or five hurried hours af¬ 
ford, however, but little facility for seeing this City 
of Palaces, which would employ weeks to do it 
justice. At four o’clock in the afternoon, we were 
obliged to return to the steamer; and we had a 
good passage of about twenty hours to Marseilles, 
from whence we took that well-known and uninte¬ 
resting route by Lyons to Paris, and, after a short 
rest there, returned to England in May. 


NARRATIVE OF A TOUR 


PORTUGAL, SPAIN, &c. 






CHAPTER I. 


Departure — Falmouth — The Braganza steamer — Cape Finis- 
terre —Vigo — Lisbon — Filth and poverty of the people — High 
mass—The Queen of Portugal — Dogs in the church—Visit to the 
Duke of Terceira—Cintra—The Cork Convent—Penha Verde— 
The Queen’s palace—The Marialva palace — Montserrat and Mr. 
Beckford — Mafra — Its vast extent—Return to Lisbon — De¬ 
parture for Cadiz. 






NARRATIVE OF A TOUR 


IN 


PORTUGAL, SPAIN, & c . 

CHAPTER I. 

On Friday, September 13, 1839, we left London 
for Falmouth. While the younger branches of the 
family, with the servants and baggage, made the 
best of their way to Blackwall, we proceeded in 
our little britzska, by the Southampton railway, 
to Basingstoke, on our way to the Deptford Inn. 
The next day we were to have reached Bodmin, a 
distance of one hundred and thirty miles ; but 
finding this impossible, we passed the night at 
Launceston, a wretched place, and on Sunday ar¬ 
rived at Falmouth. This journey is peculiarly 


232 


FALMOUTH. 


tedious, and rendered still more so by the long 
stages of eighteen and twenty miles, the scarcity 
of fine places, and the hilly roads. The difference 
between the picturesque scenery of Devonshire, its 
shady lanes, rustic cottages, and pretty villages, 
and the barren plains of Cornwall, is strongly 
marked. I must not, however, forget to mention 
the beautiful place of Mr. Vivian, near Truro ; 
and Tregothnan Castle, belonging to Lord Fal¬ 
mouth. 

We found the Braganza steamer anchored in 
Falmouth bay, after having had a very rough pas¬ 
sage, and encountered a severe gale on the Friday 
night. The weather still looked wild and stormy; 
but, on the morning of the 16th, hopes were held 
out of an improvement, in consequence of the glass 
rising, and the change of the moon. We therefore 
took courage and embarked. The steamer was a 
fine vessel; but, as an inferior one had sailed for 
Lisbon the week before, and a notoriously slow one 
was expected to make the next voyage, every body 
had made a point of securing their passage by the 
Braganza, and sixty cabin passengers were too 


CAPE FINISTERRE. 


233 

many for comfort, were comfort compatible with 
a steamer. 

The whole of Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and 
Thursday, were passed in the dreadful suffering 
and misery attendant on sea-sickness. The horror 
of nights of rolling, pitching, tossing, is inde¬ 
scribable ; the smell, the heat, the suffocation, 
every annoyance was at its worst. The wind was 
dead against us, with a heavy sea, constant squalls, 
and torrents of rain. 

At four o’clock, Thursday morning, off Cape 
Finisterre, a violent crash struck consternation 
into the bosoms of all on board. Sleepers awoke, 
the sick forgot their woes, and all ears with terror 
heard the lieutenant of the watch call down the 
companion, “ She’s ashore—we are all lost!” This 
resounded on every side : “ rocks, breakers, lost!” 
were all I could catch. For a moment the sus¬ 
pense was awful: however, the vessel, though in¬ 
jured, went ahead, and it was discovered that one 
of the paddles had been damaged by the shock she 
had sustained. What she had struck against must 
ever remain a mystery. It was pitch dark, and not 


234 


LISBON. 


a sound was heard; the captain seemed of opinion 
that it could not be a small vessel (which assurance 
greatly relieved us), and declared positively it was 
not a rock, but, most probably, a large piece of 
floating wreck, or some water-logged craft. 

Next morning we reached Vigo, where we an¬ 
chored to repair the damage, and some of the party 
went ashore to bring fruit, fresh water, &c. About 
a dozen Spanish boats, filled with dirty, squalid- 
looking beings, gathered round the vessel. After 
remaining a couple of hours, we again started, and 
on Saturday morning found the Berlingas in sight. 
These rocks are sixty miles from Lisbon, and the 
news gave universal satisfaction. One by one the 
wretched sufferers appeared, crawling on deck, to 
rejoice in the lovely weather and the southern sky. 
Vimeira, Mafra, Cintra, were passed, and we en¬ 
tered the Tagus between Fort St. Julian and the 
Bugio lighthouse. Belem Castle, another fort close 
to Lisbon, is an old Moorish building, and is very 
striking. 

The approach to Lisbon by water is extremely 
picturesque. On the one side are seen the Alemtejo 


LISBON. 


235 


mountains, and on the other the city, which, be¬ 
held from a distance, is clean and white. There is 
some resemblance to Stockholm, but I think the 
latter far more beautiful, and the scenery finer. 
We anchored opposite the Black Horse Square, 
which, by the light of a lovely moon, reminded me 
of the Place St. Mark at Venice. The Hercules 
and Donegal, two line-of-battle ships, and the 
Benbow were here; and the admiral having kindly 
sent his barge, after some difficulty, and much 
arguing with the police and custom-house officers, 
we were at last allowed to land, and seek apart¬ 
ments in an hotel kept by an English woman. 
Here we ultimately settled, after some fruitless 
attempts to procure a private lodging, or find a 
better hotel. 

Sunday and Monday were passed in rest and 
repose, after the fatigue of the passage. I had 
always heard of Lisbon as a detestable residence, 
but the reality far surpassed my anticipations; 
the smell, the disturbances, and discomforts of all 
sorts, the impossibility of walking, driving, moving, 
breathing, without having every sense offended, are 


236 


LISBON. 


very annoying; and the noise, day and night, pre¬ 
cludes all rest and sleep. 

The Black Horse Square is the principal great 
place of parade, and has a fine equestrian statue of 
John V. From this place branch three streets, the 
Gold, the Silver, and the Cloth streets. Certainly 
the first two ill deserve their names, for the shops 
that are dignified by the title of jewellers’ would 
be unworthy of figuring as booths at a fair. 

The filth and poverty of the people are very 
striking; they are a miserable, decayed-looking 
population. The soldiers seen here and there give 
but an indifferent idea of what the troops must be 
at present: while ruins, heaps of rubbish and un¬ 
finished buildings, attest the want of energy and 
slothful nature of the people. Nothing is completed 
—nothing is cleared away. On one side, you see 
the mischief done by the earthquake ; on the other, 
the effects of the great fire; and, though years have 
rolled over the scene of destruction, the confusion 
remains the same. In some places, fine trottoirs 
have been made. The carriages, which are drawn 
by two mules, are the worst I ever saw, being 


DON PEDIIO. 


237 


wretched high cabriolets, as difficult to scramble 
into as they are to remain in without being thrown 
forward; while, to get out of them in safety seems 
a feat nearly impossible. The carts are equally un¬ 
couth, and drawn by oxen. The mules here are 
beautiful, and appear very gentle. 

Tuesday, the 24th, being the anniversary of Don 
Pedro’s death, high mass was performed at the Se, 
or great cathedral, and we were anxious to assist 
at the ceremony. We had brought letters for se¬ 
veral people, and, among others, for the Duke de 
Terceira, who kindly came to us and offered his 
carriage, for which we were most grateful. It was 
an English chariot, drawn by two mules; and, on 
arriving at the church, we found that places were 
provided for us near the altar. The archbishop 
took us into a vault adjoining, and showed us the 
coffin of Don Pedro, covered with black and gold, 
having on it the crowns of Portugal and Brazil; 
also the catafalque of the ill-fated Prince of Leuch- 
tenberg, who was, for two months only, the husband 
of the young queen. 

The body of the church was filled with troops, 


238 


QUEEN OF PORTUGAL. 


officers, and ministers, in uniform. Soon after the 
queen arrived, and was led into her tribune, which 
was more like a box at a theatre than a pew in a 
church. She was dressed in black, and is very 
large, notwithstanding her youth. Her present hus¬ 
band, Prince Ferdinand of Coburg, is good-looking, 
fair, and so young that he appears quite boyish. 
The patriarch, a venerable old man, who, I was 
told, was the head of the Lusitanian church, was 
carried by the priests in an arm-chair, and placed 
opposite the queen. 

The service commenced; the music was very 
good; about twenty voices were accompanied by 
an orchestra of violins. This latter instrument is 
so associated with the idea of a theatre that it ap¬ 
pears to me particularly ill-suited for a cathedral, 
where, I think, none but an organ admissible; 
though I still prefer the simple and solemn music 
of the Greek church, where multitudes of voices 
address their Creator, unaided by any instrument. 
I observed several dogs literally on the steps of the 
altar, where they ran about unreproved, nor did 
their appearance seem to create any surprise. After 


DUCHESS OF TERCEIRA. 


239 


the service, the king and queen, and all the great 
officers and ministers, entered the vault, where they 
remained about a quarter of an hour. 

We then went to call on the Duchess de Terceira, 
and had a hot drive of four miles to a pleasant 
house on the banks of the Tagus. It was fitted up 
in the English fashion, and looked deliciously cool, 
with its fresh chintzes and nice mats. This resi¬ 
dence is, I believe, attached to the duke’s situation 
as Governor of Belem Castle. He is, besides, 
Master of the Horse to the Queen. He was very 
kind, and constantly placed his equipages at our 
disposal. It was arranged that we should dine there 
the following Saturday. 

For two days the heat was so oppressive that I 
remained at home. On the Friday, Sir John Om- 
manney invited us to go on board the Donegal, a 
large man-of-war, anchored in the Tagus. We ac¬ 
cepted the invitation, and were much gratified with 
the inspection. She is, however, a very old vessel, 
and was one of those composing the squadron under 
Lord St. Vincent, sent out to Lisbon in 1806, for 
the purpose of escorting the Prince Regent of Por- 


540 


CINTIU. 


tugal to Brazil. She is not to be compared with 
the Britannia, of 150 guns, which had been shown 
me at Plymouth. 

The party at the Duke of Terceira’s was small, 
and the dinner long. The conversation was gene¬ 
rally carried on in Portuguese, though they ad¬ 
dressed me in French. Nothing could be more 
amusing than the assemblage of different servants 
that w r aited at dinner, including, among other 
varieties, a Moor, and a small boy dressed like an 
English tiger, in boots and leathers. 

After a week’s residence at Lisbon, the arrival 
of the English packet without letters for us, and 
the return of the Braganza from Gibraltar, we 

i 

determined on making an excursion to Cintra, and 
accordingly, set out on Sunday afternoon. The 
baggage was sent on before in a cart, and the two 
servants in a vehicle something like a cabriolet, 
high, hung very forward, and equally difficult to 
mount, descend from, or remain in. Lord L. and 
I followed in a chariot and four (which sounds 
very grand), and I had promised myself a comfort¬ 
able drive. We were informed it would require 


PENIIA VERDE. 


241 


three hours to accomplish the sixteen miles. My 
expectations vanished on seeing our machine, which 
certainly was ill-fitted even to contain two per¬ 
sons, much less make them comfortable. I know 
not what to compare it to, except a small, hard, 
ill-made, old arm-chair, covered over, pitched for¬ 
ward, and placed very high ; and into this we 
scrambled. The pavement and the jolting were 
beyond all description dreadful. It was impossible 
to converse; the noise blunted every sense; one 
could neither speak, hear, nor see; and found 
plenty of employment in the vain endeavour to 
steady oneself, so as to resist the jolts and jerks. 
Half way we stopped to feed the mules, which 
seemed to enjoy their bread and wine extremely, 
and we proceeded with renewed vigour. 

The face of the country strikes a stranger very 
much, as does also the mixture of barren and 
waste land with the luxuriance of vegetation. The 
aloe hedges form a good fence, but their beauty 
was destroyed by the heat and drought of summer, 
and they looked curled up like sea-weed. We 
passed several quintas , or villas, that seemed in a 

R 


242 


CINTRA. 


fallen, ruinous state; but it appeared to me as if 
very little exertion would be requisite to make 
them not only habitable, but enjoyable. As we 
approached Cintra, the great range of craggy 
mountains became visible, and we could distinctly 
discover the convent on the top of the highest, 
called Penha Verde. We found our rooms and 
dinner ready in a small cottage, belonging to the 
same English person in whose hotel we lodged at 
Lisbon. 

I do not remember any description of Cintra, 
except Lord Byron’s, that at all does justice to its 
singular beauty. The immense rocks, stones, and 
barren crags thrown about in wild confusion, the 
orange groves, the cork forests, the extent of view, 
the mountains that appear inaccessible, and the 
cool and quiet retreats, to which people are glad 
to fly from the noise and heated air of Lisbon—all 
are grouped in beauty and harmony. 


“ Lo! Cintra’s glorious Eden intervenes, 

In variegated maze of mount and glen. 

Ah me! what hand can pencil guide, or pen, 
To follow half on which the eye dilates 


CINTRA. 


243 


Through views more dazzling unto mortal ken, 

Than those whereof such things the bard relates, 

Who to the awestruck world unlocked Elysium’s gates? 

The horrid crags, by toppling convent crown’d; 

The cork trees hoar that clothe the craggy steep; 

The mountain-moss, by scorching skies imbrowned; 

The sunken glen, whose sunless shrubs must weep; 

The tender azure of the unruffled deep; 

The orange tints that gild the greenest bough; 

The torrents that from cliff to valley leap; 

The vine on high, the willow branch below; 

Mixed in one mighty scene, with varied beauty glow.” 

Next morning*, the rain came down in such 
torrents that I began to fear we should re¬ 
main prisoners; however, at length, the sun re¬ 
gained his empire, the blue sky re-appeared, and 
the weather clearing, the donkeys came to the 
door, and we set out on our pilgrimage to the two 
convents, and in the first instance to that called the 
Cork Convent, two leagues distant. For about a 
mile, we followed a had road through a charming 
country, stopping every moment to contemplate 
the beautiful views. We passed an immense 
orangery belonging to the Marialva Palace. We 
saw the loveliest shrubs and evergreens, and were 

r 2 


244 


ST. HONORIUS. 


passing under the shade of the most beautiful cork 
trees, when suddenly our guide turned off to a wild 
craggy moor, which we crossed; and after much 
toiling, ascending, descending, and winding, we 
arrived at the convent. 

It is curiously constructed in the rock, and 
entirely fitted up with cork ; walls, ceilings, chairs, 
being all of the same material. Here St. Honorius 
dug his own grave, passing the rest of his days 
coiled up in it, and endeavouring, as Lord Byron 
truly says, 

“ To merit heaven by making earth a hell.” 

A poor, lame old Portuguese, covered with rags 
and dirt, was our cicerone; and as none of the 
party spoke his language, we were deprived of any 
information he might have given us. We sat on 
some rocks, and ate our luncheon ; the clear spring 
beside us afforded delicious water, and a heavy 
shower having fallen while we were under shelter, 
we set out again to reach the Penha Verde con¬ 
vent. When I saw it at a distance, it appeared to 
me wholly inaccessible, perched, like an eagle’s 
nest, on the highest pinnacle of a craggy mountain 


PENHA VERDE. 


245 


overlooking the sea; and even when, after much 
winding and climbing, we approached, I still 
doubted the powers of my donkey to carry me 
there, and the skill of the guide to conduct us. 
However, at last we reached it, and were rewarded 
by one of the most magnificent views imaginable. 

We waited some time, and when we gained ad¬ 
mittance, entered a chapel, where the fine altar- 
piece of carved white marble formed a strong 
contrast to the dirty leaden candlesticks placed 
before it. The walls were of green and white tiles. 
The monks have long been banished; and the 
building is now filled with workmen, as the king- 
lias bought it, is repairing the whole, and means to 
render it a delightful residence. The suite of 
rooms command beautiful views, and might be 
fitted up with the greatest luxury and comfort. 
In the middle of the building is a little Moorish 
court, paved in blue and white tiles, and sur¬ 
rounded by small open arches. We climbed up a 
little winding stone staircase to the prison. Here 
ao-ain we <mzed on the sea, and the surrounding 
mountains and plains. I did not add my name to 


queen’s palace. 


£46 

the many I saw scrawled on the wall, and we 
re-mounted our donkeys, and returned to Cintra. 
The descent is long, but the road is much better 
than the one from the Cork convent; and a 
magnificent winding approach is now in progress, 
under the king’s direction, who shews the best pos¬ 
sible taste in restoring this old building; and his 
project has the additional merit of giving employ¬ 
ment to a number of people. 

Next day, the rain fell heavily, but we found a 
moment of fine weather to visit what is called the 
Queen’s Palace; a most uncouth-looking building, 
when contemplated from the exterior; part of it 
being Saracenic, and most of it any style of architec¬ 
ture the gazer may choose to name it. We had some 
trouble to gain admittance, and, after ascending a 
great flight of steps, waited a little time at the 
door, till a dirty guide presented himself to do the 
honours. The palace is as miserable within as it 
is ugly outside. The suite of rooms occupied by 
the queen is uncomfortable, and badly furnished. 
Here and there, the dados and pavements, being 
made of glazed tiles, recal the Moors, and present 


THE MARIALVA PALACE. 


247 


that peculiar character which all their works ex¬ 
hibit. At the top of the building is a billiard- 
room, and this is really pretty and original. The 
room is square, or nearly so, with windows on 
three sides, and the arms of the more illustrious 
families of Portugal painted in compartments; the 
walls are entirely lined with antique blue and white 
tiles, formed into fantastic pictures and panels. A 
small bath-room is arranged in a similar manner; 
and while we were gazing, our guide touched some 
unseen spring, and the freshest and purest water 
streamed forth on every side. We made a rapid 
escape into the little court to which this cool re¬ 
treat opened, and here again the small Moorish 
fountain began to play. 

We then went to the Marialva Palace, where the 
convention of Cintra was signed, and where Lord L. 
had resided during the war. We found the once 
beautiful lady to whom it now belongs, the Mar¬ 
chioness de Louriqal, and she kindly conducted us 
through the rooms, till she opened a door, and de¬ 
sired us to look out. We beheld a most extensive 
prospect of hill and dale; on one side the Cintra 


248 


MAFRA. 


mountains, on the other Mafra ; while magnificent 
groves of orange and citron trees lay at our feet. 
From hence we proceeded to Montserrat, a place 
created by Mr. Beckford, and said to have been 
perfectly beautiful, but now it is in a sad state of 
decay and ruin. It is difficult to conceive how 
such havoc and desolation could have happened in 
so short a space of time. 

Next day being allotted for our pilgrimage to 
Mafra, the packing commenced at an early hour, 
and at eleven o’clock we set out; some of the 
party walking, some on donkeys, and some con¬ 
veyed by the carriages and baggage-cart; and as 
there was hardly the appearance of a road, and we 
all went at a foot’s pace, we were above five hours 
accomplishing the three leagues. We passed 
over hills and through valleys that seemed highly 
cultivated, and where the dusky green of the olive- 
grounds (looking, as Landor somewhere prettily 
says, 44 like an eternal cloud of dust”), and the 
lighter tints of the vineyard, made a striking con¬ 
trast. Arriving at Mafra, we found rooms prepared 
for us in a corner of this old palace, but neither 


THE ESCURIAL OF PORTUGAL. 


249 


fire, furniture, nor food; still, as it was impossible 
to get on that night to Lisbon, we bivouacked as 
well as we could, and the servants cooked the pro¬ 
visions we had brought with us. 

This enormous pile of building, called the Es- 
curial of Portugal, was founded in the last century 
by King John V., and is said to be chiefly of marble. 
It is of surprising size, and has above five thousand 
windows. In the centre is the great church of the 
convent, with a cupola, the whole of which is lined 
with marble of various colours, grey, white, black, 
and yellow, highly polished, though not perhaps of 
the finest sort. Being very tired after our jolting, 
broiling day, we postponed seeing more till the 
morrow, and, after a frugal repast, retired to 
rest. 

This immense edifice is completely destitute of 
furniture; nor are there any remains of carving 
and gilding. There is a great deal of rough mar¬ 
ble, of various sorts, but the rooms generally are 
of the rudest and coarsest decoration, if such high 
sounding title may be given to the whitewashed 
walls and raftered ceiling of the suites we passed 


250 


THE CORK CONVENT. 


through. The corridors, galleries, and rooms 
seemed endless, and we. were told by the in- 
ten dan t who accompanied us, that a person might 
walk here for two days, without retracing his 
steps. 

There is a great convent within the walls, and a 
fine library, 226 feet long, with a floor of varie¬ 
gated marble, a dome, and galleries. Here, it is 
said, are 60,000 volumes; and though the palace 
is utterly deserted and uninhabited, for I saw but 
two old men while there, the books seem in the 
best state of preservation, and not a vestige of dust 
or damp was to be found. 

It is only by walking over the roofs, that the 
colossal size of this vast building can be appre¬ 
ciated. These are almost flat, and tiled for the 
purpose of promenading, with steps and balus¬ 
trades ; and are more like terraces or ramparts 
than housetops. It is, however, very sad to see 
this fine palace, which must have cost so much 
money, time, and labour, now neglected, deserted, 
tenantless, and falling into decay. “ This is what 
ought to have been our fleet!" once observed a 


RETURN TO LISBON. 


25 l 


Portuguese minister of state, to an English envoy, 
who was lamenting the profitless expense which 
this gigantic edifice had occasioned. The Duke of 
Wellington gave a ball to the army here, and since 
that time it has hardly been used. 

Our journey back to Lisbon was very fatiguing; 
the distance is about five leagues, the heat oppres¬ 
sive, and the road, as usual, extremely bad. 

The next day, Friday, October 4, the English 
packet, the Tagus, came in, and being the finest 
and largest on the station, we did not like to miss 

0 

the opportunity of going in her to Cadiz: we 
therefore prepared to start the next morning. A 
more unpleasant and disagreeable residence than 
Lisbon can hardly be found. The very air is poi¬ 
soned by pestilential odours; the noises never 
cease by day or by night, and all those that belong 
to town or country are blended together in dread¬ 
ful harmony, or rather discord. I am aware this 
is strong and dark colouring; but I hardly think 
any person who has been there will think it ex¬ 
aggerated. There are few places that one takes 
leave of for ever without some feeling of regret, on 


252 


DEPARTURE FOR CADIZ. 


reflecting that the objects are seen for the last 
time. I confess, however, that I left Lisbon with 
sensations of pleasure, and looked forward with 
hope and eagerness to any change, feeling that 
must be for the better. 


CHAPTER II. 

Arrival at Cadiz—The harbour — Captain Lyon’s yacht—City 
of Cadiz — English consul — Alameda—Cathedral — Passage to 
Seville — English boarding-house at Seville—High mass at the 
cathedral — Illuminations — A bull-fight—Visit to the Alcazar 
—Immense snuff manufactory—Murillos—Spanish convent — 
Abbess and nuns—Mr. Standish — Flowers — Return to Cadiz 
—Visit to Xeres—Mr. Gordon’s cellars. 



CADIZ. 


255 


CHAPTER II. 

After taking leave of the Duke of Terceira, we 
embarked on board the Tagus, on the morning of 
the 5th. The vessel was crowded with passengers, 
having eighty on board, when there was only 
accommodation for thirty; and it was with very 
great difficulty that a small cabin could be pro¬ 
cured for me, and even that had less than the usual 
scanty allowance of light and air. I spent a mise¬ 
rable night, though the sea was not very rough, and 
after passing Cape St. Vincent, it became quite calm. 

About two o’clock next day, the fair city of 
Cadiz appeared in sight, and lovely as it is always 
described and painted, the reality, for once, equal¬ 
led one’s expectation. The houses are of dazzling 
whiteness, and built with extreme regularity, and 


256 CADIZ. 

the sky and sea of that beautiful blue, so often 
dreamed and read of, but so rarely seen. 

There is no harbour, and there being a great 
many rocks, which are, somewhat unpoetically, 
called the Hogs and the Pigs, we anchored two 
miles from the town, among several other vessels. 
Captain Coffin, commanding an English brig-of- 
war, the Trinculo, instantly sent off a boat to offer 
to land us, after the usual ceremony of being 
boarded and examined by the health and police 
officers. A very pretty schooner yacht, the Merlin, 
lay near, and her boat, with Captain Lyon, came 
alongside. The consul likewise sent his son to as- 
sist us. But the prettiest sight of all, was a most 
picturesque Spanish pilot boat, gaily painted and 
ornamented, and with a sail placed across it. On 
landing and walking up to our lodging, we were 
instantly struck with the great contrast to Lisbon, 
the last being, without exception, the dirtiest and 
most disgusting town T had ever seen, while Cadiz 
appears as if just built and freshly painted. Outside 
the walls, we passed stalls filled with the whitest 
bread, in all shapes and forms, and piles of the 


257 


CADIZ. 

finest fruit. On entering the town we found the 
shops shut, being Sunday, but it is impossible to 
describe the brightness and cleanliness of this 
lovely place. The cool and narrow streets, the neat 
trottoirs , the white houses with green verandas, and 
with shutters and balconies painted in the gayest 
colours, are very striking. Here we found our 
letters, and we settled ourselves in a clean com¬ 
fortable lodging kept by an Englishman. 

The shops in Cadiz are good, particularly for 
gloves, which are said to surpass the French, and 
are often richly embroidered in gold, silver, or 
colours. With the assistance of the Misses Brack- 
enbury, daughters of the Consul, I succeeded in 
making some purchases of silk, &c., and, leaving 
a large order for gloves, I bought a mantilla, a 
costume perfectly necessary while residing in Spain, 
where a bonnet is never seen, and where the ladies 
promenade with nothing else to defend their heads 
from the sun. The effect is very picturesque, the 
black lace gracefully falling over their glossy raven 
hair, which is arranged with bunches of natural 
flowers. The large fan replaces the parasol, and a 


s 


258 


THE CATHEDRAL. 


Spanish woman may be known any where, by her 
inimitable grace and dexterity in using it. 

The house of the English consul is full of curious 
and pretty things, collected during a residence of 
thirteen years in Cadiz; pictures, cabinets, fans, 
fillagree, &c. The young ladies speak Spanish and 
play the guitar; the whole family were most kind, 
attentive, and hospitable. We dined there, and 
found an excellent dinner; but no sooner had the 
ladies left the room, than, as I was informed, the 
cigars appeared. 

There are no carriages at Cadiz; the distances 
are short, the streets narrow, and the trottoirs good. 
I had an opportunity of ascertaining that walking 
was perfectly practicable in an hour after a torrent 
of rain. Our lodging looked into the Alameda, or 
public walk ; and so mild is this climate, that, at 
eleven o’clock at night, neither cold nor damp was 
to be felt; and I was told that the moon made it 
nearly as light as day, and that it was possible to 
read small print by it. 

The cathedral is a very fine building of great 
size; the exterior is freestone, and the interior 


SEVILLE. 


259 


principally marble. In one of the chapels, we were 
shewn a small Murillo; but it was hung too high, 
and there was not sufficient light, to judge of it. 
Having heard that fetes, illuminations, balls, and a 
bull-fight were announced at Seville, to celebrate the 
inglorious termination of the war, by Don Carlos’s 
betrayal, we determined on hastening to that inter¬ 
esting city : and on Wednesday, at eight o’clock in 
the morning, Mr. Brackenbury drove me down to 
the water’s edge, where we found the Trinculo’s 
boats, which took us on board a steamer called the 
Peninsula, that professed to make her passage to 
Seville in ten hours. Here we discovered a large 
party already in possession, clouds of smoke from 
the different cigars, and the usual smell of oil so 
universally used for cooking. 

The morning was delicious, wind and tide favoured 
us, and we glided on almost imperceptibly. The 
country was not pretty, and the banks of the Gua¬ 
dalquivir flat and marshy, and I should think un¬ 
healthy. The waters looked dirty and troubled, 
very different from the azure sea near Cadiz. 
Within two hours of Seville, we met with a small 

s 2 


260 


SEVILLE. 


steamer, into which the passengers and luggage 
were transferred. The plains on each side seemed 
to be covered with large droves of oxen. As we 
approached the city, the windings of the river per¬ 
mitted us now and then to catch a glimpse of the 
fine old Gothic cathedral; the country improved, 
groves of orange and lemon trees appeared, mixed 
with pomegranates, aloes, and, here and there, a 
graceful palm tree. 

At length we landed at a curious old tower, and 
the usual delay and trouble took place as to the 
examination of the baggage. Nothing can be more 
vexatious or worse managed than this ceremony in 
Spain. One would have supposed that, as every 
thing had been searched at Cadiz, the same opera¬ 
tion might have been dispensed with at Seville; 
but, on the contrary, it was more rigorous, and 
repeated again at the gates of the town, as w T ell as 
on the pier; and they actually opened my pillow, 
to see if, of all things in the world, I had filled it 
with tobacco, the great object of their jealousy, 
and my aversion! 

The boarding-house, kept by a sick Englishman, 


CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 


261 


was prepared for us; and here we found a bad 
dinner, and most uncomfortable rooms: but the 
good humour and attentions of our companions 
cheered us a little; and, having put all our stores 
and provisions together, we endeavoured to do jus¬ 
tice to them, and to laugh at the heavy disappoint¬ 
ment of finding blacking, or French polish, in Cap¬ 
tain Lyon’s mustard-pot. 

Next morning we went to high mass, and to hear 
a Te Deum in the cathedral, and were not disap¬ 
pointed in our expectations of the beauty of this 
ancient edifice. The music was very inferior, but 
the architecture, the carvings, the marbles, and 
the old stained glass, are beyond all praise. We 
walked round after the service, and wished much 
to see the famous Murillos; but the chapels were 
closed, and, being a fete, we could not get them 
opened. We visited the tomb of Christopher Co¬ 
lumbus. On his escutcheon, two vessels are re¬ 
presented, with the expressive motto, “ To Castile 
and Leon, Columbus gave another world.” • 

At night the city was illuminated. A singular 
custom is observed here; in the large piazza, or 


262 


A CHARACTER. 


square, in the balcony of the palace, the full-length 
portraits of the two queens are put under a crim¬ 
son velvet canopy, and sentinels are placed; the 
same is done at the theatre. 

The pavement here is very inferior to that of 
Cadiz, and the distances greater ; we procured a 
carriage, however, to drive about. The theatre is 
small, and the music bad, the smell of the cigars 
most oppressive, and the general effect spoiled by 
the ladies having very unwisely abandoned their 
own beautiful costume to imitate French fashions. 
The gallery here is entirely set apart for ladies, 
and it seemed crowded. Men are forbidden to ap¬ 
proach this sanctuary; and, while we were at Se¬ 
ville, much scandal was caused by the appearance 
of two Englishmen, who, in all innocence and igno¬ 
rance, wandered up, and, unchecked by the usual 
sentinel, who happened to be absent, transgressed 
the rule, and were accordingly shown up in the 
newspapers next day. 

The balls were so late that I could not bear the 
fatigue of sitting up for them : one was given in 
the open air, and one in the town-hall; for admis- 


BULL-FIGIIT AT SEVILLE. 


263 


sion, only two shillings were paid. We dined one 
day at a Swiss cafe, the Rocher de Cancale of Se¬ 
ville, kept by a man who seemed to be quite a cha¬ 
racter. He professed to speak every language a 
little, and none well, and declared himself a Welch¬ 
man, and that his native tongue was perhaps his 
best. Returning, we passed by the dome of the 
cathedral, which, being illuminated to the top, had 
a brilliant effect. 

Friday, 11th, being the day of the bull-fight, we 
secured two balconies, and at three o’clock pro¬ 
ceeded there; unfortunately, we were rather late, 
and the ceremony had commenced; one bull was 
already struggling in the agonies of death. The 
amphitheatre is large, and, I was told, had held 
thirteen or fourteen thousand persons, at four 

o’clock in the morning, when the mob was admit- 

♦ 

ted without payment, to see the bulls which were 
driven in from the neighbouring plains. One man 
had been killed .that morning, or, as an American 
called it, “ a human had been used up.” The go¬ 
vernor’s box, containing several persons in uniform, 
was situated in the middle of the building. The 


264 


BULL-FIGI1T AT SEVILLE. 


bulls were not as furious or as strong as I expected, 
and the horses were most wretched. The dresses 
of the Picadors and the Matador are variegated 
and tasteful; the latter is the person who kills the 
animal, and is the only one privileged to bear a 
scarlet flag. 

There is much interest and excitement in this 
exhibition ; and, however great the disgust and 
horror one must feel at the cruelty and brutality 
exhibited, it is almost impossible to withdraw one’s 
eyes from the scene before them. It is, in fact, a 
strange and painful fascination. One of the bulls 
killed three horses in a very short time. There is 
great dexterity in the way the Banderilleros rush 
in, and stick ornamented darts into the sides or 
head of the animal, for the purpose of enraging 
him. Sometimes these are made to explode with 
rockets. On one occasion, the bull not being suf¬ 
ficiently savage, the people cried out for the dogs, 
but the cry was disregarded. On the whole, after 
the death of the sixth bull, I was glad to come 
away, glad of having had an opportunity of seeing 
this national amusement, but not at all desirous of 


THE ALCAZAR. 


265 


ever witnessing it a second time. Yet this “ un¬ 
gentle sport” has for ages had the power of ex¬ 
citing and riveting the feelings and attention of a 
whole nation — the Spanish maid as well as the 
Spanish swain : 

“ Nurtured in blood, betimes his heart delights 
In vengeance, gloating o’er another’s pain.” 


Next morning we set out at twelve, under the 
care of Mr. Williams, the vice-consul, to visit the 
Alcazar, or old palace of the Moorish kings. This 
is so totally different from any building one has 
ever seen, that it is particularly interesting. The 
open arches and marble pillars, the gorgeous ceilings, 
many of which have been entirely renovated by 
fresh colours and new gildings, enchant the spec¬ 
tator with their graceful forms and varied hues. 
We heard that the queen had resolved on repairing 
the whole; and that, though her intentions had 
been frustrated by the want of funds during the 
war, they would eventually be accomplished. The 
hall of the ambassadors is the finest apartment 
in the palace, and, if ever restored to its ori- 


266 


SNUFF MANUFACTORY. 


ginal beauty, would be almost worth returning to 
look at. 

The gardens are very large, and filled with orange- 
groves. In one of the little courts was a luxuriant 
jessamine, that flowered with wild “ abundance of 
blossoming,” and quite perfumed the air. The 
taste and proportions of these apartments strike 
the beholder so much, that he forgets their want 
of size, and imagination loses itself in trying to 
picture what these delightful retreats must have 
been, when furnished and inhabited by the refined 
and elegant Moors. 

From this palace we went to a very different 
scene—a great manufactory for snuff and tobacco. 
In an enormous room, five hundred feet long, we 
saw, seated at little tables, two thousand nine hun¬ 
dred women and girls, all employed in making and 
tying-up cigars. It was the most curious and novel 
sight I ever beheld ; the noise was deafening, and 
the smell poisonous, but the scene was one for a 
painter: all ages were here, though but few pretty 
faces; one poor girl, exhausted by fatigue, lay 
sleeping with her head on the table her companions 


MURILLO. 


267 


worked round. We were told they came from the 
neighbouring country, and were paid by the hun¬ 
dred cigars they twisted. 

We next went to the great hospital in the church, 
where are the three chefs cToeuvre of Murillo; two 
are hung so high, and in so bad a light, that it is 
hardly possible to see their beauty. One repre¬ 
sents Our Saviour blessing the bread before the 
miracle of the loaves and fishes: the other is called 
“ Moses striking the rockbeing, in reality, the 
moment after the prophet has done so, when joy is 
on every countenance, and when each person rushes 
forward to the water which is springing forth. The 
third picture is of St. Thomas, the founder of the 
hospital. The saint is supposed to be carrying a 
sick man, when, looking round, he finds himself 
assisted by an angel. This is beautiful, and 
is fortunate in having some light, though it is 
much disfigured by dirt and want of - varnish. 
Seville was the birth-place of Murillo. Many 
of the pictures in the chapels of the cathedral 
are painted by him; amoug others, the vision 
of St. Geronimo, which is said to be his best 


268 


THE ALTAR AT SEVILLE. 


production; and an altar-piece, the Vision of St. 
Anthony. 

We were shown all the treasure; and there is a 
surprising quantity of plate, and great riches in 
jewels and old gold and silver; large candlesticks, 
vases, cups, chalices, &c., of the finest work, very 
ancient, and extremely costly. A small and curi¬ 
ously worked ornament is to be seen there, made 
of the first gold from the New World, encrusted 
with unpolished emeralds and sapphires. The 
great altar is made to open, and is all silver gilt, 
and filled with precious things. We saw very 
magnificent vestments for the priests, made of em¬ 
broidered velvet and cloth of gold and silver. But 
the most extraordinary and valuable object here is 
a temple, or shrine, of eleven feet in length, curi¬ 
ously wrought, formed out of solid silver; it was 
made about three hundred years ago, and is worth 
between two and three thousand pounds. On St. 
John’s day it is taken out and placed on the altar, 
and the priests dance before it, as David is described 
in the Scriptures to have done before the ark. It 
is kept in good order by a silversmith, who has a 


CORDOVA. 


269 


pension for that purpose. On that day in the year 
it is paraded with great pomp and ceremony through 
the town, by men in magnificent dresses. 

We had projected an expedition to Cordova, but 
this was discovered to be at that time impracticable, 
even for gentlemen, and of course utterly impossible 
for a lady to undertake. The want of inns and 
all accommodation would have added discomfort 
to danger and difficulty. We therefore gave this 
up with regret, though we were consoled by being 
assured we lost nothing in foregoing it, as the old 
Mosque there was the only thing really worth 
seeing. It is described as being in a bad state; 
as a Moorish relic, it ranks after the Alhambra, 
and next to the Alcazar at Seville. During the 
occupation of Cordova by the Moors, Cordova is 
stated to have contained two hundred thousand 
houses, nine hundred public baths, and six hun¬ 
dred mosques. 

As a great favour, we were allowed to inspect 
a convent, and the one we selected was the poorest, 
but a very interesting and extremely ancient one— 
that of St. Inez de Coronella. St. Inez was a very 


270 


THE CONVENT OF 


beautiful lady, beloved, it is said, by Pedro the 
Cruel, and to escape his persecution, she disfigured 
herself by pouring boiling oil over her face. She 
founded this convent, which was originally her 
palace, and, being very rich, she endowed it with 
all her wealth. In the chapel, her body is shewn, 
most curiously preserved and embalmed, and on 
the face are distinctly seen the marks of the burn¬ 
ing oil. We were first conducted to the grating, 
which was double, but allowed us to distinguish a 
small room, in which the Lady Abbess sat and 
received us. She was a diminutive and very old 
woman; she inquired why we had selected her 
convent for inspection, when there were so many 
richer and finer. We told her we had been at¬ 
tracted by its antiquity and interest. She in¬ 
formed us there were twenty-eight nuns, all of 
whom were very poor, the government having taken 
their revenues under promise of paying them so 
much per day, but for twenty months, this had 
been neglected, and consequently they were in 
great distress, and lived on charity and the bounty 
of strangers. 


5 


ST. INEZ DE CORONELLA. 


271 


The priest then came and conducted us into 
the usual Patio, or open Moorish court, with a 
garden in the middle, surrounded by marble rocks. 
The birds sang sweetly, and the flowers were most 
fragrant. These appeared to be all the amuse¬ 
ment and recreation of these poor recluses, who 
however declared themselves perfectly happy. 
They were all very old, but we were told there 
were a few young ones: on this occasion, how¬ 
ever, they were locked up. We saw the dor¬ 
mitory, a long gallery fitted up with little white 
beds; and the refectory, with a pulpit from which 
one of the sisterhood reads during the repast. 

They seemed delighted with our visit, asked the 
most silly and childish questions, and repeated the 
same words a dozen times over. Every thing was in 
a state of extreme and careful cleanliness, not an 
atom of dust or dirt was visible, and their dress, 
though of the coarsest materials, was equally neat, 

composed of a purple stuff gown, and thick black 

* 

veil. A scourge and rosary hung from the girdle, 
and a medallion of their patroness was suspended 
by a ribbon round the neck. One old nun, after 


SEVILLE. 


272 

some secret negotiation, with the aid of an inter¬ 
preter, consented to part with hers for four dol¬ 
lars, and thus I was enabled to carry away an 
interesting remembrance of my visit. 

Mr. Standish, a rich English gentleman settled 
in Seville, was so good as to give me a concert; 
and I was also present at another at the “ Lonja,” 
a great public room. The music was loud and 
bad : the president read a speech or oration; in 
answer to which not a word was said; and being 
very tired, and finding the whole thing extremely 
dull, I went away early. They have in Spain a 
curious word to indicate any great fete ; they call it 
a “ funcion and they apply the same word to any 
assemblage of personages of consideration. 

The day arrived when we were to bid adieu to 
Seville, where so much is to be seen that is new 
and strange, that we altogether forgot the incon¬ 
venience and the privations we endured in being un¬ 
comfortably accommodated and indifferently pro¬ 
vided. The flowers here are remarkably beautiful 
and abundant. Even in this advanced month, I had 
every day large bouquets of the finest roses, 


CADIZ. 


273 


myrtle, and a profusion of the sweetest jessamine. 
The streets are narrow and ill paved, and the 
houses do not appear to advantage, the best part 
of them, namely the Patio, or court, being at the 
back. There, during summer, the ladies hold 
their tertulias , or evening parties, and, till the 
month of October, live entirely on the ground 
floor. We found a great difference in the climate, 
Seville being much warmer than Cadiz. 

On Tuesday, the 15th, we returned by the Gua- 

/ 

dalquivir, in a small steam-boat, and fortunately 
escaped sticking in the mud, a very common oc¬ 
currence in this shallow river. We heard of one 
vessel which had remained there ten days, and we 
saw one that seemed to have little chance of 
moving. Arriving late at Cadiz, we went to dine 
on board Mr. Bentinck’s yacht, the Antelope; and 
as the Governor was kind enough to allow the 
gates of the city to be opened, we landed late, and 
returned to our inn. 

Next day being devoted to rest after my 
fatigues, I went on Thursday on board Captain 
Lyon’s schooner yacht, the Merlin, and saw a race 

T 


274 


XERES. 


between bis boat and that of the Trinculo, com¬ 
manded by Captain Coffin; the latter was vic¬ 
torious. 

Friday, the 18th, we started very early on an 
expedition to Xeres. We arrived at the pier just 
in time to see the steamer depart without us. We 
therefore hired a Spanish felucca, or small sailing 
boat, which, as the wind was favourable, took us 
over to Port St. Mary’s in an hour and a half. 
It is a large town. We found here a very extra¬ 
ordinary vehicle, a sort of open carriage, to which 
six mules were attached ; it had been sent for 
us by Mr. Gordon, the great Scotch wine mer¬ 
chant. His two sons in a cabriolet, accompanied 
by an armed outrider, escorted us. Unfortunately 
the rain fell in torrents, and prevented us from 
seeing the country and the vineyards, from which 
the famous sherry is made. It was too wet to 
visit the convent in the neighbourhood, but we 
were most kindly and hospitably received by Mr. 
Gordon. The cellars where his wine is kept are 
built on the dimensions of the cathedral at Seville, 
and in them are placed between four and five 


CADIZ. 


275 


thousand butts of sherry, varying in price, from 
£30 to £200 each. 

At this place I was fortunate enough to meet 
with a very curious fan, which I selected from se¬ 
veral old ones brought me to look at. After dinner, 
we were escorted back to Port St. Mary’s by Mr. 
Gordon’s sons, and being driven at a wonderful 
pace, we accomplished the ten miles much under 
the hour. Xeres is a large rich town, with 
45,000 inhabitants. I learned from Mr. Gordon 
that my father had once spent a year here. Land 
is of very great value ; an acre, highly cultivated, 
may produce ,£250 a-year; and each olive tree is 
calculated at about 12 . 9 . annually. 

It was late when we reached the place of em¬ 
barkation, but we fortunately found the steamer 
which we had missed in the morning, and in this 
we returned safely to Cadiz. 







CHAPTER III. 

Voyage to Tangiers—Lord and Lady Wilton—Mr. Drum¬ 
mond Hay—Fair in Barbary—A funeral —Qualification for 
Saints—Innumerable cats—Singular scene — Arab arms—De¬ 
licious climate — Splendid flowers and fruits—Hospitality — 
Flight of locusts — A lion—Moorish ornaments—Moorish mu¬ 
sicians—Dr. Forbes—Visit to the Basha—A beautiful Jewess 
—Moorish castle—-The Basha s wives—Voyage to Gibraltar— 
Prince Henry of Orange—A grand dinner—The wonders of the 
rock—Algesiras—St. Michael’s Cave. 



































. 


























_ 

V • 








VOYAGE TO TANGIERS. 


279 


CHAPTEK III. 


On the morning of the 19th, we prepared to 
take our departure from Cadiz for Tangiers. The 
sea was rough, the yachts lay far out, and the 
little boat danced on the water till I became ex¬ 
tremely nervous. At last, I was deposited safely 
on board the Antelope; and the Xarifa, with Lord 
and Lady Wilton, coming into the bay, they paid 
me a visit. They advised delay, and wanted us 
to remain till they returned from Seville. We 
were, however, unwilling to lose time, and our 
friends, Mr. Bentinck and Captain Lyon, deciding 
for us, we weighed anchor, and away we went. 

We had hardly left the bay, when the weather 
changed; rain, fog, and haze, with tremendous sea 
and swell, came on ; and the gay party that was 



280 


TANGIERS. 


to meet at dinner at six o’clock was completely 
broken up. Blue lights were burnt, that we might 
keep near the Merlin, but, at last, we lost her in 
the dark. As night advanced, the pitching in¬ 
creased, and Lord L. proposed returning to Cadiz; 
but this Mr. Bentinck decidedly negatived ; and, 
after a dreadful night of suffering and misery, we 
made the African coast; and, after twenty-four 
hours from Cadiz, anchored in Tangiers bay. 

The Merlin soon followed ; and, as there was a 
great deal of rolling, notwithstanding a change of 
weather, it was settled that I should land, the 
English consul, Mr. Drummond Hay, having kindly 
offered to give me a room in his house. The boat 
shot on the sand, and two old, barelegged, tur- 
baned Arabs, having waded through the water, and 
carried me out on a chair, deposited me on a 
donkey, and we set off. 

Arriving first at the consul’s house, we 
proceeded to see the fair on a hill outside the 
town. The scene was most curious and interest¬ 
ing. The complete novelty and utter change that 
this most barbarous part of Barbary presents 


TANGIERS. 


281 


(though hardly fifteen miles from Europe) are 
very remarkable, while the degradation and decay 
of these people, once so ingenious and refined, and 
now almost reduced to the state of savages, give 
rise to melancholy reflections. There was a funeral 
by the water’s edge, and they were burying the 
dead with the greatest speed, hardly taking time 
to cover the body with sufficient earth to secure 
its safety. The reason they gave was, that the 
angel of death was expecting, and, if made to 
wait long, would return to heaven without the 
deceased. 

Not a Christian was to be seen ; but on all sides, 
Jews and Moors, the latter having always the long- 
lock of hair by which they are to be drawn or 
pulled into paradise. Some unfortunate, half- 
naked, miserable beings that I saw huddled up to¬ 
gether, I was told were considered as saints, be¬ 
cause they were out of their mind. 

We passed a beautiful old Moorish mosque, 
which was open, and we peeped in; some tall 
forms wrapped in their haicks were visible, but it 
is death for a Christian to enter therein. We also 


282 


TANGIERS. 


passed by a bazaar for tobacco and other merchan¬ 
dize. It is not safe for strangers to go about without 
a guard, as the Moors believe that the murder of a 
Christian is a step towards heaven. They never 
do harm to a cat, as they consider them evil spirits, 
and as having the means of revenge ; and they are, 
consequently, to be seen in great numbers. The 
Consul’s son killed fifty in one day, and, looking 
over the tops of the houses, which are quite flat 
without chimneys, I saw a prodigious number. 

At length we arrived at the top of the hill, on 
the side of which several tents were pitched, and a 
more curious scene can hardly be conceived. We 
were much struck with the wildness and novelty of 
these strange beings, some of whom were huddled 
up in groupes, some marching about in solitary 
state. Here were crowds of Jews, oxen, asses, and 
camels—some of the latter were kneeling, others 
heavily laden with fruit, and most vicious brutes 
they seemed. Not a female was to be seen, ex¬ 
cept, now and then, some frightful old woman, 
very closely and most unnecessarily veiled. 

The arms which the people carry are beautiful. 


TANGIERS. ' ( 2 83 

We stopped one man to examine his gun; it was 
very long, and curiously worked. They do not 
allow them to be taken out of the country. 

The climate is perfectly charming. We found 
ourselves near the end of October, with a bluer 
sky, a warmer air, a brighter sun than we had 
known during even the dog-days in England, sur¬ 
rounded by the richest vegetation, and almost all 
the finest tropical plants. We saw every where 
growing in wild luxuriance the flowers and shrubs 
we had hitherto known only as nurselings of a 
hothouse. 

At the top of the hill is a small religious build¬ 
ing, used for the great feast or sacrifice of the lamb, 
which is, in some degree, similar to the Jewish Pass- 
over. From hence we were conducted into what is 
called the Dutch Garden, from the circumstance of 
its belonging to the consul of that country. The 
geranium hedges, the beds of tuberoses, the pepper- 
tree — a most beautiful and graceful plant — the 
tobacco, the palm-tree, were all to be found here, 
with many others; while, in the open country, 
the aloes, and the cactus or prickly pear, asto- 


284 


TANGIERS. 


nished us by their wonderful size. The grapes 
are the finest in the world, being the size of small 
eggs, and of excellent flavour. 

We returned by another road, passing a manu¬ 
factory of the famous morocco leather, and re¬ 
entered the walls of the town: the gates are 
closed at sunset, and during the hours of prayer. 

The Consul was extremely hospitable in re¬ 
ceiving all the party at dinner, and we found his 
family most amiable and agreeable. His house 
was very comfortable, with a large wooden balcony 
overhanging the garden, and looking over the beau¬ 
tiful bay, without taking in any of the horrors of 
the town. I was told that the vegetation had 
suffered much from a tremendous visitation of 
locusts that had blighted and destroyed every thing, 
and that it was only just beginning to recover. 
They had been obliged to keep an immense number 
of men employed in sweeping the walls and gar¬ 
dens to prevent their coming into the house. It 
was said the poor people ate them, and that they 
tasted like shrimps : I also heard that a lion had 
come down among them some years ago, which 


TANGIERS. 


285 


the natives considered as a presage of the 
cholera. 

Being very much fatigued, and the Consul kindly 
pressing our stay, we determined on remaining 
another day, and sailing early next morning. Some 
Moorish merchants brought their stores of haicks , 
embroidered cushions, slippers, purses, and pocket- 
books. By giving them six dollars of pure gold, 
you may have a ring made and curiously worked 
with any name, in Arabic. Of these I ordered 
several, as remembrances for friends at home—and 
directed that some should be engraved with the 
word Tangiers. 

In the evening four Moorish musicians came, and 
squatted in a half-circle at the farthest end of the 
room. The first had some indescribable old in¬ 
strument with two strings ; the second, a sort of 
guitar; the third, who was a Jew, played the 
fiddle; and the fourth jingled an ancient tambou¬ 
rine. All sung, or rather howled, and only agreed 
in one point — namely, in producing a medley of 
noise and discord, more barbarous and wild than 
any exhibition I ever before witnessed. Dr. 


286 


TANGIERS. 


Forbes, (tlie English physician who accompanied 
us) was much consulted here, and especially by a 

beautiful Jewess with whom he lodged ; and, on 

• 

holding out hopes to her of a family after five 
years’ expectation, the husband gratefully embraced 
him; and all the town flocked to see the pro¬ 
phetic Hakim. 

We were very desirous of an audience of the 
Basha, who fixed ten o’clock on the Tuesday 
morning to receive us, thereby compelling us to 
delay for some hours our departure. At the ap¬ 
pointed time, the whole party set forth. The gen¬ 
tlemen proceeded on foot, having made themselves 
as smart as circumstances would permit. I was 
mounted on a small white horse, and felt conscious 
of being a most extraordinary figure ; the Consul 
having desired that I should put on jewels (as a 
mark of respect to the Basha), which certainly 
were ill-suited to my travelling gown and old straw 
poke-bonnet. We were accompanied by an aged fat 
interpreter, and a beautiful Jewess, in the rich cos¬ 
tume of her nation ; her black eyelashes and brows 
were deeply dyed ; she wore double ear-rings, and 


THE BASHA OF TANGIERS. 


287 


one pair were as thick and as large as Indian bangles 
or bracelets. Her little feet were bare, with the 
exception of red velvet and gold slippers, and even 
these she was obliged to take off in Moorish pre¬ 
sence. Passing the mosque with her slippers on, 
and hearing herself cursed, she darted forward, 
turned very pale, and then informed us that this 
malediction was in consequence of her not being 
barefooted while on holy ground. 

We ascended a very steep hill, on the top of 
which stands the old Moorish castle. The courts 
were filled with Arabs and extraordinary-looking 
beings. After waiting a few minutes, we were 
ushered into the marble patio , where, without 
attendants, the Basha received us. Three carpets, 
each less than the one below it, and a folded 
blanket, formed the seat on which he sat, or 
rather squatted, holding his feet, and apparently 
counting his toes. He was wrapped in white 
muslin and a haick. His turban was white as 
driven snow; his eye fine; his countenance in¬ 
telligent, and his skin sallow. A small semicircle 
of chairs was placed, to which he pointed, and de- 


288 


TANGIERS. 


sired us to take possession; and we were ihtro- 
duced by the Consul, attended by the interpreter. 
According to the Eastern fashion of bringing 
a gift in the hand, as a mark of respect and 
honour, we had understood that an offering to 
the amount of forty dollars was to be made in 
the shape of a robe, a turban, or tea and sugar : 
but this the Basha declined with some little pique, 
saying, that as the English, in consequence of 
orders from their government, had declined his 
presents, he could not receive any from that nation. 
Some conversation on Eastern politics arose; and 
assuredly he did not express flattering opinions as 
to France. 

After a little time, a black boy conducted Miss 
Hay, myself, and the beautiful Jewess, to a garden, 
where, in a small summer-house, we found the 
Basha’s three wives and two children crouching 
on the ground. The Jewess kissed them, and 
seated herself beside them; and two chairs were 
placed for us, the black boy, Hadjee, standing by. 
Any thing so hideous as these ladies I never beheld. 

We were told that the Basha was very proud. 


LADIES OF TANGIERS. 


289 


and had chosen his wives more with regard to 

o 

high birth than good looks. The first was a 
most frightful old woman, with a sallow skin, half- 
closed eyes, and a figure that could be compared to 
nothing but a badly-made feather-bed; the second 
was painted like a savage, and equally shapeless; 
the third was black, and adorned with silver anclets 
and bracelets. It was really a daring figure of speech 
to call the children human. All were dressed in 
coarse muslin, and wore coloured glass beads. 
Their manners were bold, and their questions 
childish and absurd. There was a feeling of humi¬ 
liation at witnessing such utter degradation of one’s 
own species. The Jewess translated what they 
said into Spanish, and Miss Hay explained it to 
me. They inquired our Christian names, and 
whether we were married; they asked Miss Hay 
whether she did not wish for this event, and were 
told it was likely to take place soon. They in¬ 
quired how many children I had, and how many 
boys — and said it was very wrong for a married 
woman to shew her hair. 

After many mutual civil speeches, we rose to 

U 


290 


GIBRALTAR. 


depart, but were invited to remain, that they 
might still have the pleasure of looking at us, and 
the old lady, tuning her guitar, began to sing, what 
they told us was a pathetic love-romance, but what 
appeared to us most repulsive discord. They said 
they had expected that we should remain till sun¬ 
set. I replied they could see the ships in the bay 
waiting to carry us away, and that, if I delayed, 
we should be out all night, and, perhaps, ship¬ 
wrecked ; besides, my husband would be very 
angry with me for making him wait. The black 
boy then conducted us, through some strange old 
corridors and stairs, to the top of the house, to see 
the prospect; and here we met the baslia, who 
cursed the poor Jewess for having dared to put on 
her slippers in his house. 

We then took our leave, and descended to the 
waterside, where, after seeing some cavalry exer¬ 
cised, and bidding adieu to our kind and hospitable 
friends, we embarked, and after less than four 
hours’ sail, anchored off Gibraltar. The Merlin 
and the Antelope were moored by the New Mole, 
and we landed, and were most kindly received by 


GIBRALTAR. 


291 


the Governor, Sir Alexander Woodford, who had 
sent his carriage for us. 

We found rooms prepared for us at the Eng¬ 
lish club-house, and our children all well. The 
Braganza steamer came in soon after us, and we 
had the pleasure of receiving a large packet of 
letters. On the following day we called on Lady 
Woodford, and found Prince Henry of Orange; a 
review was fixed for ten o’clock the following 
day, and a great dinner at the Governor’s after¬ 
wards. We then went on board the Merlin, where 
we had a very merry party at dinner. 

The garrison now consists of 2,500 men ; the 
population of the town is said to be about 14,000. 
The weather was fine, the ground chosen was beau¬ 
tiful, and the scene gay and pretty; although an 
infantry review of a small number of men is rather 
a dull exhibition. The blue Mediterranean lay 
before us, and the stupendous Rock towered above. 
We had a large dinner-party in the evening at 
the Governor’s, whose delightful house was un¬ 
fortunately under repair. It is called the Convent, 
having originally been one, and has a fine and 

U 2 


292 


GIBRALTAR. 


extensive garden, in which all the tropical plants 
grow in the greatest luxuriance. A long covered 
walk is entirely shaded by the pepper-tree, and a 
stone terrace, parallel to the sea, commands a beau¬ 
tiful view. 

Friday and Saturday were devoted to visiting the 
Rock, which is, if possible, more wonderful when 
the interior is examined. We admired the long gal¬ 
leries cut through it, the immense twenty-four and 
thirty-two pounders, eight hundred of which have 
been dragged up its rugged heights, and the mag¬ 
nificent view from the top; and here we are struck 
with the apparent insignificance of the town, as 
seen from the heights, the houses, shops, &c. below, 
all looking like child’s toys—diminutive and Lilli¬ 
putian. At the signal-post we rested, and pur¬ 
chased some specimens of the rock, which are 
manufactured into inkstands, candlesticks, chess¬ 
boards, &c. Sir Alexander having kindly lent me 
a very quiet little pony, belonging to one of his 
boys, I was not much fatigued. We saw a great 
many monkeys, which are particularly ugly, and 
have the peculiarity of being without tails. 


ALGESIRAS. 


293 


Sunday, 27th, we attended the Protestant 
church. The building is not large, but in good 
taste, without galleries, and in the Moorish style, 
after a design from the Alhambra. There is no 
organ, but a military band plays remarkably well, 
though the echo made it extremely difficult to hear 
the service. After church, we sailed over to Algesi- 
ras, a small town exactly opposite to Gibraltar, on 
the other side of the bay, where there were to be 
processions, illuminations, and rejoicings. It was a 
poor miserable place; and after walking up to the 
Plaza , we re-embarked, but a dead calm coming 
on, we advanced little, and were glad when Sir 
Alexander’s barge came alongside the cutter and 
took us on shore. 

The next day was very fine, and we devoted the 
afternoon to climbing the rock, and inspecting that 
wonder of nature, St. Michael’s cave. It is of 
great extent. The Governor had directed that it 
should be lighted up for us, which was most ad¬ 
mirably managed. The effect was very pictu¬ 
resque. A band played. On descending the rock, 


294 


ALGESIRAS. 


we perceived the English packet coming in, and, 
after reading our letters, we had a very agreeable 
dinner at the Governor’s. 


CHAPTER IV. 

Ceuta Bay—The Spanish Gibraltar—Spanish convicts—Tetuan 
Bay—Shoal of porpoises—An old Moor—Bide to Tetuan—A 
thief—Visit to the Basha — Moorish mode of making tea—The 
Basha’s wife—A young Moorish bride—Moorish stud—A Jewish 
family—The Vice Consul’s family—Return to Gibraltar—Voyage 
to Malaga—Journey to Granada — Spanish etiquette — Spanish 
Posada—Bandits—Arrival at Granada. 





TETUAN. 


29? 


CHAPTER IV. 

Tuesday, 29th, was devoted to preparation for 
departure. We dined on board the Merlin, and 
next morning sailed for the African coast. We 
were becalmed for some hours, and only made 
Ceuta Bay after sunset, when we anchored for the 
night. 

Next morning, Lord L. went on shore. The 
Spaniards hold Ceuta as we do Gibraltar. It is 
not near so strong or important a place, though 
great pains have been taken to make it so. The 
Governor sent his barge for us. I was too ill to 
land, but Lord L. rode round the town and in¬ 
spected the fortifications. The Spaniards send 
their convicts here; and as they are employed in 
cleansing, paving, and beautifying the streets, the 


298 


TETUAN. 


latter are very clean, and are kept in great order. 
The sea and heavy swell made the vessels roll and 
toss so disagreeably, that it was thought best to sail 
round the point into Great Ceuta Bay, where we lay 
much more quietly till Lord L. returned on board, 
when we shaped our course for Tetuan. An im¬ 
mense shoal of porpoises accompanied us, leaping 
on each side of the vessel; and we anchored at 
night, off a wild open coast. Next day, the rough 
sea and continued torrents of rain prevented our 
landing, and we remained on board while the gen¬ 
tlemen went to shoot some partridges for our 
dinner. 

Friday , November IsL—Weather much more 
tempestuous, and an unceasing deluge of rain. 
Much discussion arose as to our landing, some 
thinking it imprudent to run such a risk, on the 
chance of the vessels not being able to remain near 
the coast, while others maintained that waiting for 
line weather was quite hopeless; on the other hand, 
it was so extremely provoking to be foiled and see 
nothing, that, at length, we boldly determined to 
brave the weather, and make the attempt. 


TETUAN. 


299 


Milk for breakfast was obtained by sending some 
sailors on shore to catch a cow, and after this, to 
us a great luxury (and procured in such a primitive 
fashion), the four boats were filled with passengers 
and luggage, and we rowed to land. We found a 
disagreeable and dangerous bar; but the boat was 
dexterously steered between the breakers, and soon 
touched the beach, where a few savage-looking and 
half-naked Moors helped us out. 

A more desolate scene can hardly be imagined; 
the rain fell in torrents; there was no sign of 
shelter or habitation near, save a ruined shed 
where our mules were waiting, and a square white 
building, without doors or windows, flanked by 
four towers, and having a rope-ladder as the sole 
mode of ingress or egress. Out of this building 
came forth an old Moor, whose turban was as 
ragged as his slippers. He informed us that he 
was styled the Capitanaccio, and that his business 
was to guard the coast, for which purpose he had 
some guns posted at the top of his abode. 

The Vice-Consul, Mr. Butler, met us with mules 
and donkeys, and we mounted some of the animals, 


300 


THE BASHA OF TETUAN. 


while the luggage was placed on others. I had ail 
excellent one, the property of a rich Jew merchant, 
who obligingly lent it for the occasion, and I 
ascended it by mounting the back of an old Moor, 
who knelt down for the purpose. We set off with 
the macintoshes, cloaks, and umbrellas; and, after 
passing by the custom-house, rode nearly seven 
miles in a deluge of rain, over a morass and through 
a sheet of water, without a vestige of road or path. 
At last we arrived at the city of Tetuan. To de¬ 
scribe the dirt and the odours of every kind sur¬ 
passes my ability. The Jewish and Moorish quar¬ 
ters seemed to me on a par, though I was informed 
the first was the worst. 

We arrived at Mr. Butler’s, drenched and literally 
half-dead. I was glad to remain in bed for many 
hours. My reticule was immediately stolen out 
of Lord Londonderry’s great coat pocket, which 
had been hung up to dry; a Jew was the thief; 
he was, however, discovered and sent to prison, 
and would have been bastinadoed but for my in¬ 
tercession. The Basha of the place sent us a 
present of two sheep, twenty-four fowls, and some 


THE BASH A OF TETUAN. 


301 


eggs, which we made over to the consul, and our 
audience was fixed for the next day at twelve 
o’clock. 

It was still stormy, and a heavy gale during the 
night had obliged the yachts to stand out to sea; 
our departure was therefore impossible. At the ap¬ 
pointed hour, the procession set out to wait on the 
Basha. I was mounted on the mule, the gentle¬ 
men riding donkeys. The streets were knee-deep 
in mud, and the smell perfectly insufferable. On 
arriving, we found the court filled with guards; 
some of them were fine-looking men. We were 
received at the foot of the stairs by one of the 
Basha’s sons ; another waited in the antechamber; 
both showing the greatest respect of manner by 
standing in their father’s presence :— 

“ For son of Moslem must expire 
Ere dare to sit before his sire.” 

In an inner room, lighted from above and hung 
with shawls, the Basha squatted on cushions. In 
one corner stood his bed, with sheets and counter¬ 
pane beautifully embroidered with coloured silks 


302 


LADIES OF TETUAN. 


and gold threads. Some curious arms, French 
clocks, &c. were in other parts of the room. The 
Jew merchant, Mr. Levi, was the interpreter. 
Little tables, a foot high, were brought in, and he 
and an old Moor sat down to make tea, one in the 
English, the other in the Moorish fashion. Ac¬ 
cording to the latter, the sugar is put in the tea¬ 
pot, and I found it excellent, even without milk. 
A large bowl of cream, piles of cakes, dates, and 
sugared almonds, were brought in on large brass 
waiters. The Basha is old and grey-headed, his 
appearance venerable, and his manner courteous. 
Inquiries were made after the Sultan; and, in 
return, offers of service, and the town placed at 
our disposal. 

We were then shewn over the house, which is 
old and very curious, with tiled stairs and walls, 
and elaborate ceilings, in the style of the Alcazar 
at Seville. In the recess of a marble patio, or 
court, sat the Basha’s wife; and near her, the wife 
of his eldest son, a little creature of sixteen, who 
had been married five years. Her face was flat 
and like a Calmuck’s, but her dark eyes and long 


TETUAN. 


303 


lashes were beautiful, and she had taken some 
pains to deepen the colour by black dye. Round 
the court, we saw cages with singing birds sus- 
pended in every direction. The Basha’s second 
son conducted us over the palace. 

Five or six black girls laughed immoderately at 
my appearance. One held in her arms a child, 
which I discovered to belong to the young bride 
above described; but it appeared to be considered 
as general property, and, I thought, ran some risk 
of suffocation from kissing and kindness. From 
the roof of the house, we overlooked the town and 
surrounding country, the view of which was very 
extensive. We then returned to take leave of the 
Basha, and were conducted over a large unin¬ 
habited house, or palace, of the Sultan’s. In the 
garden, one of the young men picked some jes¬ 
samine, and gallantly presented the bouquet to 
me. We ate some excellent grapes of a peculiar 
form and long shape, called ladies’ fingers. Lastly, 
we were conducted to the stables, where a few 
miserable horses stood tethered, without straw or 
manger, and one of these unfortunate animals had 


204 


GIBRALTAR. 


bad his tail shaved, by way of adding to his beauty. 
We were informed that we ought to leave forty 
dollars with the black boy, as a present to the 
Basha, to be distributed among his attendants. 
We afterwards heard he had only given them ten, 
and buried the remaining thirty. 

Our next visit was to the family of Levi, where 
we were shown some splendid Jewish dresses. 
The sash worn by the women is particularly mag¬ 
nificent ; it is above three yards long, and richly 
woven in gold. I bought some velvet-embroidered 
pocket-books from some of the merchants, whom I 
found as anxious to cheat as their brethren at 
Tangiers; however, I succeeded in getting these 
things for exactly half the price asked at Gib¬ 
raltar. 

November 3rd. — The weather having cleared 
and the yachts having returned to their anchorage, 
we took leave of our hospitable host and hostess, 
Mr. and Mrs. Butler. Their fate appeared to me 
very deplorable, both in bad health, exiled in this 
barbarous country, with a salary of £100 a-year, 
out of which they paid £22 for house-rent! They 


MALAGA. 


305 


have a fine family of nine children. The daugh¬ 
ters never stir out of the house; not a teacher 
is to be had, nor can they speak any language 
but Spanish. 

We rode back, found the boats on the beach, 
and embarked. The wind was fair and the water 
smooth to the Almeira point. It became then 
rather rough on crossing the straits. We arrived 
at Gibraltar in the evening, and after some little 
difficulty in getting pratique, landed at the New 
Mole. 

The Club House Hotel was very full; however, 
we succeeded in getting rooms, and remained 
there for three days to receive and answer our 
letters. We dined with the Governor, and on 
Thursday the 7th, went on board the Antelope, 
which, with the Merlin, sailed for Malaga. 

The day was so calm that our progress was 
scarcely perceptible; but after a night that, in 
England, would have been thought warm and fine, 
even in July, we anchored close to the Mole at 
Malaga. Soon after, the English Consul came on 
board, and announced that Lord and Lady Wilton 


x 


306 


MALAGA. 


not only liad not started, but had delayed their 
journey that we might all travel to Granada to¬ 
gether, as they had secured the escort, and we had 
ordered the carriages. 

We doubted at the time the wisdom of this 
scheme, as we suspected the larger the party the 
worse the accommodation would he; however, we 
agreed to the proposal, and accordingly, every thing 
was arranged for setting out- the next day. We 
landed and walked about the town. They make 
here some very spirited figures in clay, represent¬ 
ing the various national costumes and amusements. 
I desired that an entire bull-fight might be made 
for me and sent to England. The cathedral un¬ 
fortunately was closed, and, to my regret, I did 
not see it, as it is very handsome, though modern. 

We dined on board the Xarifa, and next morn¬ 
ing, Saturday, November 9 th, our procession set 
forth. We had a large English coach with six 
mules, an omnibus, and a baggage-cart, each 
with the same number, laden mules, riding-horses, 
muleteers, servants, and an escort of lancers with 
a corporal; so that altogether, the long string of 


EL COLMENOR. 


307 


equipages and imposing number of people, (between 
thirty and forty) made us hope to be tolerably se¬ 
cure from robbers. 

We were told rather an absurd story of the 
coach and horses of a plebeian meeting the car¬ 
riage and mules of an aristocrat; much confusion 
arose as to precedence, the mules declining to 
yield the pas to the horses belonging to an infe¬ 
rior master; at last, the coachmen unharnessed 
the animals, and (as the story goes) the carriages 
remained in the street, until Time, by annihilating 
them, settled the question of precedency, or rather, 
left it exactly as it was. 

The torrent of rain in which our journey com¬ 
menced increased. The ascent of the mountains 
was severe, the roads bad, the baggage could not 
advance, and altogether our progress was so un- 
propitious, that we were glad to stop at a hovel in a 
wretched village, called, I believe, El Colmenor. 
There were not two rooms, for one was only a 
small loft, and the whole place was filled with 
people. The Alcalde, or judge, however, came, 
and soon cleared it. In this uncomfortable abode 


308 


LOJA. 


we passed the night, thankful for shelter from the 
wind and rain. Next morning early we set out; 
and, after breakfasting at the Venta, two leagues 
on, (where we ought to have slept, if the mules 
had not been utterly exhausted by the fatigue and 
bad weather of the preceding day,) we proceeded 
to Loja, a considerable town, about half way to 
Granada. Here we found a very good posada , and 
spent the night; starting next morning at six 
o’clock, in the hope of reaching Granada the same 
day. 

The scenery here was beautiful, but the roads or 
rather tracks were almost impassable, and the rain 
continued unabated. We toiled on for many weary 
miles, till at seven o’clock in the evening the mules 
could proceed no farther, though we had only ac¬ 
complished half of our intended journey. We re¬ 
monstrated with the muleteers, and much discus¬ 
sion arose ; but the dreadful state of the roads, the 
complete exhaustion of the animals, and the warn¬ 
ings of robbery (said to have been frequent in an 
olive wood which we had to pass) compelled the 
party to submit to necessity, and we bivouacked at 
a farm of the Duke of Wellington’s. 


AL ACHAT. 


309 


It is hardly possible to describe how wearying* 
and fatiguing a journey may be rendered by 
accidental circumstances, and very bad weather. 
Eighty miles in England, the task of an easy day, 
became, in Spain, hard work for four ; and on an 
average, we advanced little beyond one mile and a 
half in an hour, allowing for the various delays of 
muleteers and mules, the latter falling, and waiting 
to be dragged up by the former; and the harness 
constantly breaking and to be repaired, besides 
innumerable other accidents. 

Two of our escort rode on to examine the 
country, and took one man prisoner, who was 
armed, and skulking behind a hedge ; he endea¬ 
voured to escape, but failed. The diligence pas¬ 
sing soon after, explained what his plans had been. 
It appeared that the house we were in at A1 Achat 
was not an inn. The people seemed on the look¬ 
out for plunder; the gentlemen, therefore, took it 
in turn to watch, well-armed, through the night. 
We were afterwards told by our cook, that he had 
been there thirty years before, with Marshal Soult, 


310 


GRANADA. 


and that on that occasion two of his fellow-servants 
had been stabbed. 

We left early on the morning of the 12th, and 
commenced the four leagues which still separated 
us from Granada. We passed the olive-wood, 
which appeared a suitable spot for robberies; 
armed scouts and suspicious-looking people were 
prowling about, but our party was too large to be 
attacked, and we reached our journey’s end in 
safety. 


CHAPTER V. 


Visit to the Alhambra — Palace of Charles V.—Washington 
Irving—All expectations surpassed—Mateo Ximenes, the guide— 
Court of the Alherca—Court of the lions — Hall of the Abencer- 
rages—Lord Porchester — Hall of ambassadors—The Tocador— 
Unrivalled view—Habitations of the Zingari — The cathedral of 
Granada—The Alameda — The governor, General Mier — Car¬ 
thusian convent — The Generaliffe — The Daro and the Xenil— 
Motril—El Colmenor—Spanish Alcalde. 



VISIT TO TIIE ALIIAMBRA. 


313 


CHAPTER V. 


Next morning the governor of the town, with 
General O’Lalor (who manages the Duke of Wel¬ 
lington’s estate in this country) and Mr. Lopez, a 
Spanish gentleman, married to an English lady, 
called, and conducted us to the far-famed Al¬ 
hambra. We ascended the hill on which it stands, 
passed the beautiful “gate of justice,” and arrived 
at the somewhat ostentatious palace of Charles V., 
of which only the stable is completed, but from 
its magnificence some idea may be formed of what 
the rest would have been. The bas-reliefs on the 
columns are very fine. The building is circular 
inside; and the exterior is a solid square of great 
size. 

Close adjoining is the low door of the Moorish 


314 


WASHINGTON IRVING. 


palace, which we entered, and found ourselves in 
one of the little courts so often described,but so little 
capable of being imagined beforehand. I know not 
bow other travellers are affected by what they see: 
I only know for myself, that I came with an eager 
imagination. From childhood the idea of the Al- 

O 

bambra bad been to me (as Washington Irving so 
truly says) “ what Mecca is to the Moslem.” I bad 
read and treasured its romances, gazed on its pic¬ 
tures, and dreamed and fancied the scene, until I 
almost believed myself one of the heroines of yore. 
I bad seen in my mind’s eye the thickets of roses 
and the groves of myrtle, and, though I came in 
November, and found the sear and yellow leaf, I 
almost expected to see the Lindoraxas and Zo- 
raydas appear. In short, I arrived in a breathless 
state of excitement, with my spirits and imagina¬ 
tion so over-wrought that I almost felt that even 
the reality would be disappointment. The weather 
was bright, clear, and sunny, as it ever is, even in 
winter, in this glorious southern clime. 

We were fortunate in having the well-known 
guide, Mateo Ximenes, “ a son of the Alhambra.” 


LORD PORCHESTER. 


315 


He led my mule, and, having helped me to dis¬ 
mount, watched my face to see the impression the 
first view would make upon me. I hope he was 
gratified, for, if my countenance at all expressed 
my feelings, he could not mistake the admiration 
and surprise with which I gazed on the enchant¬ 
ing scene. This was the court of the Alberca; 
it was paved with marble, and in the centre was 
an immense fish-pond, or reservoir, one hundred 
and thirty feet in length, by thirty in breadth, bor¬ 
dered by a trelliswork of roses. It opens through 
a Moorish arch, into the Court of Lions, which is 
opposite to the Hall of the Abencerrages. 

Lord Porchester admires Florian’s description of 
this beautiful place, and, perhaps, he is most exact 
in the dimensions and proportions he gives. But 
Washington Irving conveys to my mind the most 
poetic and touching idea of the Alhambra. He 
lived in, and appears to me to have lived on, 
its loveliness; at least, no one seems to have 
felt it in his inmost soul as he has done. He 
says, speaking of the renowned Court of Lions: 
_“ There is no part of the edifice that gives a 


316 


COURT OF LIONS. 


more complete idea of its original beauty and mag¬ 
nificence than this; for none has suffered so little 
from the ravages of time. In the centre stands the 
fountain famous in song and story. The alabaster 
basins still shed their diamond drops, and the 
twelve lions which support them cast forth their 
crystal streams, as in the days of Boabdil. The 
court is laid out in flower-beds, and surrounded by 
light Arabian arcades of open filagree work, sup¬ 
ported by slender pillars of white marble. The 
architecture, like that of all the other parts of the 
palace, is characterised by elegance rather than 
grandeur; bespeaking a delicate and graceful 
taste, and a disposition to indolent enjoyment. 
When one looks upon the fairy tracery of the pe¬ 
ristyles, and the apparently fragile fretwork of the 
walls, it is difficult to believe that so much has 
survived the wear and tear of centuries, the shocks 
of earthquakes, the violence of war, and the quiet, 
though no less baneful pilferings of the tasteful 
traveller. It is almost sufficient to excuse the po¬ 
pular tradition, that the whole is protected by a 
magic charm.” 


IIALL OF THE TWO SISTERS. 


317 


Here I gathered a branch of myrtle, to bring’ 
away as a remembrance; and Mateo, observing 
this, brought me a beautiful carnation, saying, “El 
unico , Senora .” The Governor presented me with 
a large tuberose, which was deliciously fragrant. 
On one side of the Court of Lions is the Hall of the 
Two Sisters, so called from two large slabs of 
marble in the pavement. The glazed and highly 
polished tiles are in a perfect state. The ceil¬ 
ings are of surpassing beauty; and the labour, 
taste, ingenuity, and patience of the Moors, are 
here displayed in every form. The general state 
of preservation is surprising, and, here and there, 
remains of the brilliant colouring are seen, such as 
the lapis lazuli, or Tyrian blue, of which ancient 
secret these people alone possessed the knowledge ; 
bright scarlet, and, occasionally, patches of gold, 
relieving the various tints. 

On the other side of the Court of Lions is the Hall 
of the Abencerrages. Mateo pointed out the place 
of the massacre, and the indelible stains of blood. 

We proceeded to the Ambassador’s hall, which 
is very grand. Here Columbus was received in 
state on his return from his voyage. 


318 


THE ALHAMBRA. 


The ceiling is of cedar, inlaid with mother-o’- 
pearl, enriched with gilding, painting, and the 
brightest colours. 

“ Oh ! given to song, and revelry, and light, 

Alhambra’s halls were beautiful that night; 

Her cedar roof, with precious pearl inlaid, 

Her walls transparent, seem’d of crystal made.” 

Certainly the Alhambra is one of the few ob¬ 
jects in the world which do not disappoint even 
highflown and overwrought expectations; and 
yet it is impossible to describe its beauty or its 
charm. It is not large, not magnificent, but it is 
unique . The perfection of its proportions, the 
lightness of its architecture, the transparency of 
its fretwork, must be seen to be duly appreciated; 
and when among the small, low, Moorish arches 
you see such elaborate work and delicate tracery, 
you marvel how any thing so fragile has lived 
through centuries. It is true that some writers 
have felt and done partial justice to the beauty, 
the poetry, the romance of the whole; but I doubt 
whether any author or painter has ever succeeded 
in placing the scene before the comprehension of 
any one who has not gazed on the reality ; at 
least, I feel that no description can do it justice. 


THE ALHAMBRA. 


319 


The traveller wanders through the courts and halls, 
sighing that one cannot 

“From the long cheerless night of ages raise 

The festive image of those splendid days. 

* * * * 

And bid Alhambra echo to the strain 

Her mouldering walls shall never hear again.” 

We proceeded to the Tocador, or Queen’s dressing- 
room, which commands an enchanting view. Its 
frescoes however are grievously defaced by bar¬ 
barous hands, who have registered in rude charac¬ 
ters their names, unknown to fame. 

It is impossible adequately to express one’s ad¬ 
miration of this fairy palace, graceful, lovely, 
singular, and placed in so unrivalled a position. 
It is sufficiently high to look down on Granada 
and Santa Fe, and over the whole of the Vega, or 
plain, which is literally a garden of sixty miles 
long, and in some places thirty wide, marked by 
the richest soil and the finest cultivation, and irri¬ 
gated by numerous watercourses. I am told that 
the only view at all comparable to this is that of 
Damascus, when, after toiling for days through 
the desert, you first behold the city rising before 


350 


DAMASCUS. 


you. But the magnificent background which ren¬ 
ders the scenery of Granada so picturesque, must 
be wanting in the Eastern picture. The fine 
range of mountains, or Sierra Nevada, is crowned 
even in the dog-days with continual snow ; and 
yet, during the broiling heat of summer, this ap¬ 
pears so near, that it seems only requisite to put 
out one’s hand to reach the dazzling surface. 

We were all worn and harassed with our jour¬ 
ney and the hardships we had undergone ; but so 
well were we repaid by what we saw, that not one 
of the party regretted the past, but all agreed they 
were amply rewarded. It must also be borne in 
mind that we saw this spot under every dis¬ 
advantage of season, in the middle of November, 
with a clear frost, and clad in autumnal tints, 
and not in the month of May, with its thickets 
of roses and myrtle, and its groves of orange and 
citron, when it must indeed be an earthly paradise. 

Cavities or burrows in the hills were shown us 
as the dwellings which the gipsies inhabit. There 
are many at Granada, but they keep entirely to 
themselves, only coming down for their purchases, 


CATHEDRAL AT GRANADA. 


321 


which they make in the Zacatin, a very narrow old 
Moorish street, composed entirely of small shops. 

The great cathedral of Granada is very fine ; it 
is comparatively modern, of Grecian architecture, 
and profusely decorated in white and gold. The 
dome is of peculiar richness, and the painted glass 
extremely ancient. The chapels are curious; and 
here lie the remains of Ferdinand and Isabella, in 
two marble tombs of the most elaborate and highly- 
wrought sculpture. 

The Alameda, or public walk, is cheerful and 
pretty, and in its shades one may forget the neigh¬ 
bourhood of a great town. The inn was as dirty 
as a Spanish posada can be; the corridors were 
filled with the muleteers and guides, who literally 
bivouacked in them, huddled over braseros filled 
with charcoal. 

The weather was seasonable, a fine clear frost; 
but the want of fireplaces in every room was 
severely felt. The Governor of the town, General 
Mier, was very attentive to us, and called several 
times; but, unfortunately, as he spoke nothing 

Y 


322 CONVENT NEAR GRANADA. 

but Spanish, we were unable to have much con¬ 
versation with him. 

We went to an old Carthusian convent, about 
two miles from Granada, and were greatly struck 
with the magnificent chapel belonging to it. The 
fine Murillos that once adorned the walls were 
carried off by the French, who, however, affected 
to replace them by copies. The sacristy is beau¬ 
tiful. The marbles are of the country, and take 
the finest polish, having the appearance of agate. 
The drawers for the priest’s vestments, and the 
doors, are of the most costly work, red tortoise¬ 
shell inlaid with ivory and silver, so far surpassing 
the most gorgeous cabinets and armoires I had 
ever seen, that it was difficult to look without 
envying. There had been a splendid silver shrine 
for the Host, equal if not superior to the one at 
Seville, but it had been taken away by the 
French, and was replaced by one made in painted 
wood. The whole of the building was in the 
highest state of preservation; the architecture 
Grecian, and it had probably been built above 
three hundred years. Nothing could be finer 


TIIE GENERALIFFE. 


393 


than the elaborate stucco-work of the walls and 
ceilings. 

The Zacatin, an old street filled with shops, is 
curious; narrow as an alley, no carriages can 
enter, and all the wares are displayed outside of 
the shops. In Granada, as in all Spanish towns, 
the sweetmeats, preserved fruits, and bons-bons are 
excellent, and there is a great display of baskets of 
sugar-candy, temples of barley-sugar, and other 
confectionary. 

We devoted a day to wandering over the hills 
and gardens of the Generaliffe. This is a sort of 
second Alhambra, situated higher than the first, 
and was the abode of the Moorish sovereigns, 
whenever the courts of the former failed to offer a 
cool retreat. Here they repaired during the burn¬ 
ing heats of summer to inhale the fresh breezes 
from the Sierra Nevada. Our friend Mateo guided 
us to the top of the building, from whence the 
view was magnificent. We saw the plain of the 
Vega, watered by the Xenil and the Daro, and 
gazed on the fair city below. Fn the Daro are 


324 


MOTRIL. 


said to be found particles of gold; and in the 
Xenil, of silver. 

We wandered through the gardens and trelliced 
arcades ; Mateo presented me with a large bouquet, 
and some bunches of delicious grapes. I explained 
to him that I wanted some more lasting memorial 
of the Generaliffe; and, as we passed through one 
of the courts where the finest and largest cy¬ 
presses grew, he drew out his knife and cut off some 
pieces of scented wood, which I carried away. 

On Sunday, 17th, we left Granada, and having 
determined not to return by Malaga, we dismissed 
the carriages, carts, &c., and putting the luggage 
on mules, took the road to Motril, the nearest sea- 
point, where Lord Wilton’s and Mr. Bentinck’s 
yachts were to meet us. 

We had been informed that a fine new chaussee 
had been made by the convicts, and we saw here 
and there some of this work ; but after the first 
four leagues, nothing of the sort was visible. 
The day was lovely, the scenery magnificent, and 
the heat excessive, though we looked on the snowy 
top of the Sierra. When we came to the place, 


BAZANE. 


325 


called “ L’Ultimo Suspiro del Moro,” we halted to 
admire the view where Boabdil is said to have shed 
tears, which his mother, the proud Ayxa, answered 
by the cruel speech, that he did well to weep like 
a woman over the fair territory which he could 
not defend as a man. 

“ His higli-soul’d mother sternly bade him know, 

It well became him, with a woman’s woe, 

To mourn o’er lost Granada’s living grave, 

The throne he knew not like a king to save.” 

At four miles from Granada, we left our miser¬ 
able vehicle, and mounted our horses. The ladies’ 
maids were placed on donkeys; and, having re¬ 
freshed ourselves with luncheon and some grapes at 
aventa, we rode two leagues to a small village called, 
I think, Bazane, where we passed the night. Next 
morning, we again set off on horseback. The sce¬ 
nery now became wilder; and, at last, we entered the 
mountain pass, and lost all sign of human habitation. 
The ascent and descent over broken rocks without 
a vestige of a path made me so nervous that I was 
glad to exchange my fine black horse, with a long 
flowing mane and tail, for a humble white donkey. 
We crossed the rocky bed of a river, and continued 


326 


PICTURESQUE SCENERY. 


winding along our mountain track. We did not 
meet a creature; indeed, the path was so narrow 
that, excepting here and there, in some places 
there was not room for another to pass. The air 
was perfumed with rosemary, wild lavender, and 
thyme; the sun was scorching, and the heat exces¬ 
sive, but the scenery was magnificent. Our escort 
of lancers accompanied us, two riding on in ad¬ 
vance for fear of any ambuscade, while the others 
remained in the rear to bring up the baggage, 
which was divided among twelve or fourteen mules. 
The English Consul, Mr. Mark, our guide Manuel 
(so well known to all visitors to Malaga), and our 
muleteers, added to our already large party of 
servants, formed a long train, and it was curious 
to look back and mark it winding round, and up 
and down, these mountainous and craggy paths. 

From Granada to Motril is eleven leagues, or 
forty-four miles. At length, we reached a river 
with a rapid current. Here we found men pre¬ 
pared to protect us, should the stream prove too 
strong for our beasts, which they guided. Manuel 
having carefully packed me up with my feet on 


MOTRIL. 


327 


the donkey’s neck, consigned me to two of these 
guides, who brought me in safety to the opposite 
shore. 

At length, we caught a glimpse of the sea; and 
soon after the picturesque little town of Motril, 
with its pretty bay, appeared in sight. We had 
some difficulty in obtaining lodging, the posada 
being filled with officers; however, we found 
quarters in a private house. I should have men¬ 
tioned that we had already discovered that, in 
this liberal country, our best plan was to apply to 
the judge, or alcalde, who was all-powerful, and 
made no ceremony of clearing a venta or even a 
private house, by immediate or forcible ejectment. 
At one place, El Colmenor, he had come to our 
assistance unasked, and, in a few minutes, had 
turned out every body out of the kitchen, and 
every mule out of the stable; kicking and 
cuffing all who came in his way, and knocking 
down any individual who wore a hat in his pre¬ 
sence. So much for the justice and equity of this 
well-governed country, where our escort loudly 
and constantly sung, “ Viva la Constitucion.” 






CHAPTER VI. 


Motril and its climate — Embark on board the Antelope 
yacht—Voyage to Carthagena—Scene of desolation—Embark for 
Barcelona— Voyage — Morera Bay—A foraging party— Cape St. 
Martin—A night at sea—Barcelona—English Consul—Montjuic 
—Grand Ball—Spanish ladies—Wealth of the peasantry—Voy¬ 
age to Marseilles—Curious chapel—Toulon—Prince de Joinville 
—Hyeres—Return to England. 




MOTRIL. 


331 


CHAPTER VI. 

Nothing can better describe the climate of 
Motril, than the fact of there not being a win¬ 
dow in the town; shutters alone were to be 
found; therefore light could not be enjoyed with¬ 
out the admission of air; and, though it was the 
middle of November, this was unfelt, as, even after 
sunset, there was not a breath of cold wind. 

On arriving, we were rather disappointed that 
neither Lord Wilton’s nor Mr. Bentinck’s yachts 
had appeared. Next day, however, the latter was 
discovered in the distance; but there being no 
harbour, and only a wild exposed bay and open 
road, it was not considered safe to allow her to 
anchor, and Mr. B. requested us to hold ourselves 
in readiness for immediate embarkation. 


332 


CARTIIAGENA. 


The town is about two miles from the sea, 
and at twelve o’clock on the 19th, we rode down 
to the shore. The night was lovely, the moon 
rendering it almost as light as day; the air was 
soft and warm, and on either side, cotton-trees 
and sugar-canes were growing. We passed a 
beautiful orange-garden, ornamented with seats 
and walls of Valencia tiles. 

Our baggage was already on board the An¬ 
telope, and we were soon in the boat. We took 
leave of Mr. Mark (the Consul), and Manuel, our 
guide, and a few minutes’ rowing brought us 
alongside the cutter, which was standing off and 
on, waiting for our arrival. Once on board, it 
seemed folly to wait for the Xarifa, and, by such 
delay, lose much valuable time; Mr. Bentinck, 
therefore, determined to make sail for Carthagena, 
which we reached in forty hours. We were en¬ 
tering the harbour on the Thursday evening before 
sunset, and were hoping we might get pratique 
and sleep on shore, when we were hailed, and 
desired to stop to take a pilot. This was at first 
resisted by Mr. Bentinck as being unnecessary, 


CARTHAGENA. 


333 


and an imposition which they had no right to 
force upon vessels belonging to the yacht-club. 
He, however, at last consented, and after about an 
hour’s delay, the man guided us to the quarantine 
ground. We were, after all, too late to get prati¬ 
que that night, and the pilot dared not come on 
board ; but, as his boat shoved off after we had an¬ 
chored, we took some pains to explain to him the 
name of the vessel as well as those of the passen¬ 
gers, and repeated the whole distinctly, begging 
that the Health Office would send early in the 
morning, as we wanted to go on shore. We had not 
much success, for he departed, saying, that he would 
let the Consul know the Marquis cVAntelope was 
arrived. 

Next morning the schooner came in. We soon 
got pratique, and all came on shore. We imme¬ 
diately took a house that had belonged to the 
English Consul, then absent, and here we made 
ousselves very comfortable for two nights, enjoying 
the fireplaces, and a good repose. The town looks 
very picturesque from the sea, to which it is quite 
close; it is deserted, however, and going to decay, 


334 


CAPE PALOS. 


without trade, commerce, or movement. The docks 
and arsenal are almost entirely empty. The Pluto 
and the Terrible lay in the harbour, side by side, 
after their late encounter; the latter was a famous 
smuggler, that had long defied the whole Spanish 
fleet; hut the Pluto having shot away her mast, 
and the pirate captain being killed, the men lost all 
courage and surrendered. 

The vice-consul here spoke only Spanish. He 
very kindly presented me with a temple of sugar, 
filled with bons-bons , which we sent on board, and, 
fragile as it was, hoped to carry to Marseilles. On 
Sunday, 24th, we embarked. The weather was 
fine, and the glass rising; but, unfortunately, the 
wind did not favour us. We knew we had three 
hundred miles to make to Barcelona, without any 
intermediate good harbour to run into. 

On Monday, we got round Cape Palos, without 
finding any improvement in the weather, and we 
still continued to beat against a head wind. ♦On 
Tuesday, we had continued baffling winds. In the 
evening, the schooner, who was now in company, 
ran into Morera Bay, and anchored. Mr. Ben- 


CAPE ST. MARTIN. 


335 


tinck, thinking the weather looked dirty, followed. 
A foraging party was sent out to try and procure 
provisions, and we had some excellent red mullet 
for dinner. In other respects, however, the foray 
was unsuccessful, for twelve loaves were all that 
could be procured, and were divided between the 
two yachts. After rolling and pitching for five 
or six hours, we weighed anchor and made sail, 
having burnt a blue light to inform the schooner of 
our intentions. She did not, however, heed us, and 
there we separated. 

Next morning we got round Cape St. Martin, 
and were going to Denia for fresh provisions, but 
at twenty miles distance were becalmed. In the 
evening the wind freshened, and Valencia was 
thought of; but though we were anxious to see it, 
this plan was given up on account of the bad 
anchorage, open bay, and the distance of the town 
from the shore. Our course was then laid for 
Peniscola. 

Thursday morning was clear and calm, but 
before twelve o’clock rain and squalls came on ; 
these increased towards evening, when the mainsail 


336 


TIIE MEDITERRANEAN. 


was ordered down, and the trysail set. We ran our 
distance, and then lay-to for some hours at about 
twenty miles from Barcelona. To people unused 
to sea, there is danger in every plunge of the ves* 
sel and fear in every sound, and their ignorance 
increases their terror. We were, however, assured 
that there was no cause for alarm, and after a most 
comfortless night, we were truly thankful when 
daylight came, and though the heavy sea still 
rolled, the wind moderated. Such, however, is 
the caprice of the tideless Mediteranean, and such 
the uncertainty of the winds here, which appear to 
blow sometimes from every point of the compass in 
rapid succession, and then cease entirely, that we 
had the mortification and disappointment of pas¬ 
sing the day becalmed, about twenty miles from 
Barcelona. The trysail was taken down and the 
mainsail set; in doing which the main boom got 
adrift, and was very nearly sprung, and a more dis¬ 
agreeable effect than this produced in the motion 
of the vessel to those below cannot be imagined. 
The rolling was checked by tremendous jerks. 

Towards evening a breeze sprung up, and took us 


BARCELONA. 


337 


on. We lay-to that night close to Barcelona, and 
got into the harbour early on Saturday morning, 
the 30th. The Consul, Mr. Annesley, an Irish gen¬ 
tleman, married to a Prussian lady, Mademoiselle 
Brockhausen, came on hoard, and offered his ser¬ 
vices. He told us there had been a severe storm, 
that chimneys had been blown down, houses un¬ 
roofed, and much damage done in the port; and 
that at Tarragona H.M.S. the Tribune, and thirty- 
two other vessels, had been driven on shore. 

Barcelona is a large city, with a noble and spa¬ 
cious harbour, fine ramparts, and a beautiful 
Alameda. The great fortress of Montjuic, on the 
high hill on the north entrance to the bay, is ex¬ 
tremely picturesque. Many handsome stone houses 
were building in what is called the new town, and 
there appeared more traffic and commerce than we 
had observed in any other place in Spain; it is in¬ 
deed only second to Madrid. The governor of the 
city and the governor of the fort called on us ; 
and, after some difficulty, we were allowed to land 
our things, without the usual ceremony of having 
them unpacked on the pier, for the edification of 


z 


338 


BARCELONA. 


all the idlers usually collected there. We had much 
trouble in procuring a lodging, and at last suc¬ 
ceeded in getting some wretched rooms up three 
pair of stairs at the posada “ de las Quatro 
Naciones.” The cold was now excessive, and 
there were no fireplaces or means of warming our¬ 
selves, but by brasieros , which are extremely op¬ 
pressive and unwholesome. 

Two days after, the Xarifa came in. Lord and 
Lady Wilton had been residing on shore at 
Valencia during the gale, and escaped it. They 
described the town as attractive, and its manufac¬ 
tories of tiles and damasks as well worth seeing. 

Provisions were scarce and dear at Barcelona; 
thirty thousand unfortunate people driven in from 
the mountains had increased the population ; and 
although numbers were sent off daily to the 
army, the country was described as being in 
such a state, that the governor dared not stir out 
of the gates without a strong escort. We re¬ 
mained here a week, much interested, and verv 
well amused. The Consul, who has a fine house, 
better fitted for reception than for mere daily 


BARCELONA. 


339 


habitation, gave a great ball and supper, which 
afforded us an opportunity of seeing the society. 
The Spanish ladies have committed a great error in 
abandoning their own beautiful costume, for second- 
rate French and English fashions. 

There is a long street here composed of jewellers’ 
shops. I was greatly struck with the earrings 
made for the peasantry; they are heavy and showy, 

enriched with stones, and cost from twenty to fifty 

/ - 

pounds. Oh my expressing my astonishment at 
their being able to purchase such expensive orna¬ 
ments, I was told that they were extremely rich on 
this northern coast, and especially about the Bay of 
Rosas; which we regretted excessively that want 
of time and the lateness of the season prevented 
our seeing. 

The black satin in this town is considered excel¬ 
lent. There is also a great manufactory for thread 
stockings, and silver plate is cheap, and prettily 
wrought. The bad weather continuing, filled the 
harbour with ships, for none of the vessels could 
put to sea, and many came in, so that the situa¬ 
tion of the yachts was by no means without anxi- 


340 


MARSEILLES. 


ety: however, fortunately our fears were without 
cause, for no accident occurred. Two French 
vessels were here, La Surprise and La Fleche, and 
their captains visited and admired, perhaps envied, 
the yachts. 

On Saturday, 7th, we sailed ; the Xarifa having 
taken her departure on the preceding Thursday. 
We were most fortunate in having fine weather and 
a fair wind. We soon got round the Cape ; and, 
after twenty six hours’ run from Barcelona, made 
the French land and the Plania lighthouse, but un¬ 
fortunately too late to get into Marseilles harbour 
till daylight. Our usual ill luck, however, did not 
desert us. No sooner had it been decided that we 
must lie-to till morning, than the weather, which 
had been thickening all around, got worse. Squalls 
with rain and a heavy sea made the night very dis¬ 
agreeable, and we were not sorry next day to find 
ourselves anchored among thirteen hundred vessels 
in this busy port. The Xarifa came up with us in 
the course of the night, having had constant bad 
weather, in which she had sprung her jib-boom. 

We now took a grateful leave of the Antelope, 


TOULON. 


341 


thankful for our safe passage from Gibraltar, and, 
landing, proceeded to the Hotel des Princes, where 
our children, who had preceded us in the steamer, 
had already arrived. Marseilles is by no means an 
agreeable residence; the climate is changeable, 
with cold winds and frequent fogs. The inn was 
detestable, and neither society nor amusement was 
to be found. 

There is a curious chapel here on a height near 
the town; it is dedicated to the Virgin, and is 
filled with various offerings from mariners. The 
walls are covered with pictures of all sorts and 
sizes, representing every varied scene of danger 
and distress. This is an old and classical custom, 
dating from the most remote antiquity. There is 
a fine view from this spot of the harbour and sur¬ 
rounding hills. 

During our stay at Marseilles, we went for two 
days to Toulon, and saw the magnificent harbour, 
the land-locked bay, and the dockyard. The 
Prince de Joinville had just arrived in “ La Belle 
Poule,” one of the finest of the French frigates; 
but, unfortunately, as he came from the east, the 


342 


IIYERES. 


authorities had put him in quarantine for thirty 
days, and I heard 44 Qu’on ne lui ferait pas grace 
d’un jour.” 

We drove over to see Hyeres, a charming place, 
with a delicious climate, and much recommended 
as a residence for invalids. We strolled about the 
orange groves and gardens, admired the beautiful 
view, and returned to Marseilles, enchanted with 
our expedition. Our intention had been to proceed 
to Naples, but we received intelligence that altered 
our plans, and obliged us to return to England. 
After three months’ wandering, we set out to per¬ 
form the long and tedious journey to Paris by 
Avignon; and reached London in safety, early in 
January, 1840. 


THE END. 


FREDERICK SHOBERL, JUNIOR, 
PRINTER TO HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCE ALBERT, 
51 , RUPERT STREET, HAYMARKET, LONDON. 


13, Great Marlborough Street , June , 1844. 


MR. COLBURN’S NEW PUBLICATIONS. 


DEDICATED BY PERMISSION TO HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN 

DOWAGER. 

Now ready, in 2 vols. small 8vo., 21s. bound, 

MEMOIRS OF 

A BABYLONIAN PRINCESS, 

MARIA THERESA ASMAR, 

DAUGHTER OF EMIR ABDALLAH ASMAR, 

Written by Herself. And Translated into English. 


“ This work forms a complete novelty in literature. The authoress, Maria Theresa 
Asmar, is the daughter of the late Emir Abdallah Asmar, the head of one of the noblest and 
most wealthy families of Bagdad, and a Chaldean Christian, whose stern and heroic adhe¬ 
rence to his faith subjected him to unceasing exactions, the most cruel tortures, and finally 
brought him to an untimely death. His daughter, Maria Theresa, the only one of his nu¬ 
merous family who has escaped the sword of the oppressor, and the ravages of the pestilence, 
was born in a tent pitched on the ruins of ancient Nineveh, where her father had large 
landed possessions, and whither her mother had fled to escape the plague which, at the time 
when the subject of this memoir was born, raged in the neighbouring city of Mosul. Since 
the death of her father, and the downfall of liis house, his ill-starred daughter has led a 
chequered and eventful life. Animated by the same holy zeal which cost her parent his 
existence, she devoted all her energies to the propagation of the Christian religion, and the 
elevation of the female character in the East, a course which often placed her in peril, anu 
on one occasion compelled her to take refuge in the tents of a wild marauding band en¬ 
camped on the banks of the Euphrates, amongst whom she dwelt during six months. Her 
narrative embraces her residence at Mosul and Bagdad, and her travels to Damascus, Pa¬ 
lestine, and Syria, in which country she remained for upwards of four years, during which 
period she filled the office of first lady of honour to the Avife of the Emir Besliir, at his 
palace of Betejdin in the Lebanon ; concluding with her arrival in Europe; her visit to 
Rome, where she remained two or three years ; her residence in Paris, and her arrival in 
England. Independently of the interest which must necessarily attach to a work written 
by so remarkable a personage—perhaps the only Ninevite avIio ever trod British soil, 
and in all probability the only Chaldean woman, at least of modern days, who ever 
wrote a book,—the memoirs will be found particularly entertaining from the many inte¬ 
resting particulars interspersed concerning Oriental life and manners, both in cities and 
amongst the wild and lawless desert tribes. Her Majesty the Queen Dowager has graciously 
permitted the Memoirs to be dedicated to her Majesty. 






2 MR. COLBURN’S NEW PUBLICATIONS. 

DEDICATED BY PERMISSION TO HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCE ALBERT. 
Preparing for Publication, in 8vo, to range with the Wellington Despatches, 

THE DESPATCHES AND LETTERS 

OF 

ADMIRAL LORD VISCOUNT NELSON. 

EDITED BY 

SIR HARRIS NICOLAS, G.C.M.G. 


Although numerous Lives of the Great Naval ITero have been written, no 
attempt has yet been made to collect his Despatches and Letters, and thus 
to render him, in a great degree, his own Biographer. The value of such docu¬ 
ments, and the powerful manner in which they enhance a Hero’s fame, are shown 
by the publication of the Despatches of the Duke of Wellington, to which this 
Work will be a fitting, if not a necessary, companion. 

Important as are the illustrations of Naval History, which this Collection will 
afford, during the most glorious period in its annals, the chief interest, for the 
public in general, will consist in the lights which it will throw on the private cha¬ 
racter of Nelson, without the glitter of biographical encomium, or the mistaken 
zeal of biographical suppressions. His ardent patriotism, his professional devo¬ 
tion, his generous sympathy with the good or ill fortune of his brother officers, 
his unremitting efforts to promote their wishes, and his complete identification 
with their feelings, are so strongly depicted in his Letters, that admiration of 
the Hero is almost lost in affection for the Man. As Nelson thought and 
felt, he spoke and wrote: hence the few weaknesses of his noble mind are as 
apparent as its powers; and this singleness of purpose, and disregard of mere 
effect, impart to his Correspondence a sincerity and freshness, as delightful as 
they are rare. To the historical value of the “ Despatches of the Duke of 
Wellington,” this Collection will consequently unite the general attractions of 
the celebrated “ Letters of Lord Colling-wood.”—It is intended to insert all 
Letters of Lord Nelson’s of any interest, and no effort 'will be left untried to obtain 
such Despatches and Letters as have not yet been printed. For assistance in this 
essential object, the Editor confidently appeals to individuals who may possess 
originals or copies of Nelson’s Letters, his Public Orders, and Professional Me¬ 
moranda. He earnestly invites them to favour him with the loan of such 
papers, or to send him correct transcripts of them; and the contributions will 
be thankfully acknowledged in the printed work. He begs leave to address this 
request more particularly to distinguished living Officers, the friends and com¬ 
panions in arms of Nelson, as well as to the families of those who are no more, 
believing that no one who loves or reveres his memory will refuse his co-operation. 
The possessor of these Documents must feel, with the Editor, that though the 
Nation has lately rendered tardy justice to the Hero’s services by erecting a Statue 
to his Honour, yet that Nelson’s most lasting and appropriate Monument will be 
a complete collection of his own Letters and Despatches. The extent of the Work 
cannot now he precisely stated, but it is not likely that it will exceed three volumes. 

Communications are requested to be addressed to the Editor, to the care of the 
Publisher, Mr. Colburn, 13, Great Marlborough Street. 










mr. Colburn’s new publications 


3 


Early in June will be published, in 2 vols., small 8vo., with Portraits, price 21s. bound, 

MY ADVENTURES. 


BY 


COLONEL MONTGOMERY MAXWELL, K.IL, 

COMMANDING THE 3GtH REGIMENT. 


These “ Adventures” will comprise the facts and experiences of more than twenty years of 
a life spent amidst the most stirring scenes, and in immediate connexion with the most im¬ 
portant and interesting events that have agitated Europe during the most remarkable period 
of modern history—scenes and events that have changed the destinies of every civilised 
country in the world, and which are daily working out new changes, both in the political 
and the social condition of mankind. But these “Adventures” (as the phrase is intended 
to imply) are nevertheless strictly personal: it is, therefore, hoped and believed that, inde¬ 
pendently of the instruction, they will offer matter for the entertainment of every class of 
reader, however idly or however busily disposed. They will include the minute details of 
the writer’s many personal interviews with several of the most distinguished crowned 
heads—male and female—of Europe ;—among others, the Emperor Napoleon, the Empress 
Marie Louise, the King of Spain, his Holiness the Pope, Queen Caroline of England, King 
Joachim of Naples and his Queen, the King and Queen of Sardinia, the King and Queen of 
Etruria, the Emperor of Austria, the Archduke Charles, the King of Prussia, &c., See. 

The following are among the various countries (besides England), the manners and cus¬ 
toms of which are illustrated in the course of these “Adventures:”—namely, Italy, Sicily, 
Spain, Prance, Germany, Belgium, Holland, the West Indies, North America, &c., in 
each of which the author resided not for a few days, or weeks, but for 3 r ears, and under 
circumstances which necessarily imparted to him the most intimate knowledge of their 
people, their manners, and their social and political institutions. 

Further—the writer’s rank and position as a.British officer, and his family connexions 
with several of the most distinguished members of the English aristccrac}', afforded him 
the advantages of that intercourse with the higher classes of the English people, both 
abroad and at home, which no ether circumstances can give, and which are indispensable to 
a just appreciation and illustration of those habits and manners which are, after all, the 
most interesting to an English reader and observer, and which, it is to be expressly under¬ 
stood, will claim a leading and important share in these “Adventures.” 

It should be added that these “ Adventures” are selected and transcribed from more than 
twenty MS. volumes of a journal kept by the author at the places and periods respectively 
referred to, and that every thing which is related is strictly, and it may be almost said, 
literally true. 

Those persons who may be desirous of obtaining the work on the day of publication, are 
requested to forward their orders to their respective booksellers. 








MR. COLBURN’S NEW PUBLICATIONS. 


Now ready, in one handsome volume, 8vo, with Portraits, 15s. bd., 

THE MILITARY ANNUAL 

FOR 1844. 

By the Author of “ The Artillerist’s Manual,” Sec. 

OPINIONS OF THE PRESS. 

“ This work is a storehouse of treasure connected with the achievements of our military 
forces. It abounds in valuable information relative to all branches of the service, to the 
members of which we heartily recommend it. It holds out every prospect of becoming 
permanently beneficial, instructive, and amusing to the British army.”— United Service 
Gazette. 

“ A capital Military Library Book of reference, consisting of a careful selection of all 
that has appeared or occurred relating to the Army during the past year: besides which we 
have a Military Almanack, an Essay on Arms and Armies, Biography of Warriors of Olden 
Times, Sec ."— Naval and Military Gazette. 

“ We heartily congratulate our military readers on the establishment of a work devoted 
to their interests, and conducted with so much of tact, research, and ability. It is embel¬ 
lished with splendid portraits of Lord Hill and the Duke of Wellington—fit heroes to grace 
such a picture gallery ; and the various curious tables and statistical details, with the 
authentic accounts of all matters connected with the armies of Great Britain, are highly in¬ 
teresting and valuable, not only to the professional but the non-professional reader.”— 
Dublin Evening Packet. 

“ We shall be much surprised if this Annual be not, at once, recognised by the army as 
a standard military work, for it contains a mass of intelligence in thediigliest degree valu¬ 
able and important to that branch of the service. We do not mean, by this, that being 
read it may be thrown aside, but that it will be kept as a book of reference for official 
facts, memoirs, See.”— John Bull. 

“ The present work contains a carefully-arranged detailed account of all the events that 
have happened during the past year in reference to the British army. The victories in 
China and India, with all the Despatches and ‘ Circulars’ connected with these wars, as well 
as the votes of thanks to the army in both houses of parliament, are recorded with an 
accuracy of statistical detail winch to the military man must render the work not merely 
valuable, but almost indispensable as a work of reference. There is also contained in the 
volume accounts of the presentation of colours to regiments during the year, of the ‘ general 
orders’ that have been issued from the war-office ; of the various courts martial that have 
been held ; of the military colleges, academies, and institutions at present in existence ; of 
the scientific operations and inventions that have occurred during the year ; an historical 
memoir of the different regiments, together with other articles of a miscellaneous character, 
such as military anecdotes and biographical sketches of the warriors in the olden time. 
These, all comprised within the small compass of one volume, tend to render the work of 
such a nature as that no military man in the service should be without it. There is also an 
essay upon ‘Arms and Armies,’ giving a complete history of war from its first commence¬ 
ment. The work, we repeat, is one which, from the great variety of military details re¬ 
corded in it, no regiment in-the service should be without.”— Sunday Times. 












MR. COLBUHN’S NEW PUBLICATIONS. 


5 


Now Ready, at all the Libraries, in 3 vols., post 8vo., 

A SECOND EDITION OF “ CONINGSDY; 


OR, 


THE NEW GENERATION.” 

BY B. DISRAELI, ESQ., M.P. 


OPINIONS OF THE PRESS. 


From “ The Times.” 

“ The announcement of a new novel, by the able author of ‘ Vivian Grey,’ would be suffi¬ 
cient to awaken the eager expectations of those who love lively sketches of society and 
brilliant descriptions of ‘feast and ball,’ but ‘ Coningsby’ will attract additional and graver 
j interest from the prevalent idea that he expounds the opinions of ‘ Young England.’ The 
I story will be found replete with interest.” 


Eroni “The Morning Chronicle.” 

“ We may augur for this book a very extensive popularity. It is quite as curious as it is 
clever.” 


From “ The Morning Post.” 


“ This book is full of life, spirit, and accurate portraiture. As a painter of fashionable 
life we know no one more an fait than M. Disraeli. Never did satire dissect with a more 
polished knife—never were the ulcers of political and fashionable life laid bare with a more 
scientific and nervous hand. This work is too cutting, too true, to be passed over un¬ 
heeded. It must be read by all. The romantic interest of the story is likewise maintained 
with consummate skill.” 

From “ The Morning Herald.” 


“ This is in every respect a very fine and remarkable novel. It is a very successful at- 
, tempt to intertwine the political feelings of the day with the interest and plot of a novel.” 

i From “ The Literary Gazette.” 

i “This work is destined for extensive popularity. It is a production of much talent— 
i bitterly personal, satirical, political, and is besides the manifesto of ‘Young England.’ ” 


From “ The Court Journal.” 

“ In whatever point of view we examine this work it commands unmixed admiration. It 
is admirable as a novel of real life—as a picture of English society—as an exposition of 
political parties and principles—as a gallery of living portraits. The recommendation of 
such a novel to our readers would be a work of supererogation. It is already in tlieir hands, 
or on its way to them. Every body will read it.” 

From “The League.” 

“ A remarkable book, written by a remarkable man, published at a time when both the 
subject and the author are sure to command general attention. ‘ Coningsby’ is like 
‘Vivian Grey,’ a political novel, the actors in which are living characters with fictitious 
names, and the plot not altogether fabulous.” 

From “ The Naval and Military Gazette.” 

“ ‘ Coningsby’ is the novel of the season. It is too late for us to say that it will excite ex¬ 
traordinary interest and curiosity; it has already done so throughout the length and breadth 
of the land—if not by its own immediate and direct dissemination, at least by the unprece- 
dently extended and repeated notices of it that have occupied the morning papers day after 
day.” 













s 

—— ' 

6 MR. COLBURN’S NEW PUBLICATIONS. 


Now in course of Publication, in Four Quarterly Parts, price 10s. 6d. each, forming a single 
Volume of upwards of 1600 pages, beautifully printed in double Columns, 

HISTORY 

OF 

T HE LANDED GENTRY: 

51 (ffienealotjtcal antr 13fcttoitavj» 

OF 

THE WHOLE OF THE LANDED GENTRY, OR UNTITLED 
ARISTOCRACY OF ENGLAND, SCOTLAND & IRELAND. 

BY JOHN BURKE, ESQ., 

Author of the “ Peerage and Baronetage.” 

and 

JOHN BERNARD BURKE, ESQ., 

OF THE MIDDLE TEMPLE, BARRISTER-AT-LAW. 


This important work lias been undertaken as a companion to Mr. Burke’s 
popular “ Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage of the United Kingdom,” 
and upon a similar plan, in order that the two publications may embrace the 
whole body of the British Peerage, Baronetage, and Gentry, and may furnish 
such a mass of authentic information, in regard to all the principal families in the 
kingdom, as has never before been brought together. 

It relates to the Untitled Families of Rank, as the “Peerage and Baronetage” 
does to the Titled, and forms, in fact, a Peerage of the Untitled Aristocracy. It 
embraces the whole of the Landed Interest. 

The Landed Gentry of England are so closely connected with the stirring records 
of its eventful history, that some acquaiutauce with them is a matter of necessity 
with the historical student, the speculator in politics, and the curious in topo¬ 
graphical and antiquarial lore ; and even the very spirit of ordinary curiosity 
will prompt to a desire to trace the origin and progress of those families whose 
influence pervades the towns and villages of our land. This work, abounding in 
interesting anecdote, and displaying deep research, must rank among the first 
class of those'publications which elucidate or connect themselves with, the annals 
of our country. It is, therefore, a most necessary companion to the “ Peerage and 
Baronetage,” and indispensable to the library of every gentleman. 

“ A work which contains curious information, nowhere else to be found, and to which 
even professional genealogists may refer with advantage.”— Quarterly Review. 

N.B.—Those who desire to obtain this Work immediately on its publication, 
are requested to send their orders, without delay, to their respective booksellers. 

*** It is particularly requested that all Communications intended for this work may he sent, 
without delay, to J. Burke, Esq., 89, Sloan e Street, in order to ensure their appearance in 
pioper alphabetical order. 












MR. COLBURN’S NEW PUBLICATIONS. 


DEDICATED, BY PERMISSION, TO HER MAJESTY. 

Now Ready, Yols. I. to VII., Embellished with Portraits, price 10s. 6d. each, bound, I 

LIYES OF THE QUEENS OF ENGLAND, 

FROM THE NORMAN CONQUEST, 

WITH ANECDOTES OF THEIR COURTS ; 

Now first published from Official Records and other Authentic Documents, private as 

well as public. . 

BY AGNES STRICKLAND. 

OPINIONS OF THE PRESS. 

“ These volumes have the fascination of a romance united to the integrity of history.”_ 

Times. J ' 

“A most valuable and entertaining work.”— Chronicle. 

“ This interesting and well-written work, in which the severe truth of history takes 
almost the wildness of romance, will constitute a valuable addition to our biographical 
literature.”— Morning Herald. x 

A valuable contribution to historical knowledge. It contains a mass of every kind of 
historical, antiquarian, and gossiping matter of interest.”'— Athenceum. 


NEW EDITION, WITH IMPORTANT ADDITIONS, 

Uniform with Miss Strickland’s “ Lives of the Queens of England,” in Two Yols., 

with Portrait, &c., 21s. bound, 

LETTERS 

OF 

MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS, 

Illustrative of her Personal History, now first published from the Originals. 
Edited, with an Historical Introduction and Notes, 

BY AGNES STRICKLAND. 

OPINIONS OF THE PRESS. 

“ The best collection of authentic memorials relative to the Queen of Scots that has ever 
appeared.”— Chronicle. 

“ No public or private library can be considered complete without this valuable work.”— 
Morning Post. 

“ Undoubtedly the most valuable, and by far the most interesting work, illustrative of 
the life and character of Mary Stuart ever given to the world.”— Edingburgh Evening Post. 

“ A work deeply interesting, in every personal respect, and of high historical value.”—• 
Literary Gazette. 

















8 


MR. COLBURN’S NEW PUBLICATIONS. 


COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE CHINESE WAR, &c. 
Now ready in Two Volumes, 8vo, with Maps and Plates, 32s. hound. 


NARRATIVE OF THE 



From 1840 to 1843. 


And of the combined NAVAL AND MILITARY OPERATIONS IN CHINA ; 

Comprising a complete Account of the Colony of Hong-Kong, and Remarks on the 

Character and Habits of the Chinese, &c. 

From Notes of Commander W. H. HALL, R.N., with Personal Observations, by W. D. 

BERNARD, Esq., A.M. Oxon. 


“ This is probably the most important publication that has appeared respecting our 
late contest witli China. In all that relates to the Nemesis especially, and to the naval 
operations of the Expedition, it is replete with the most lively and stirring interest. 
The Author grasps a subject which many others have only been able to play with.”— 
Naval and Military Gazette. 

“ This book is, in effect, a complete history of the operations and results of the 
Chinese war. It is written with greater care than any similar work we have seen. 
Sketches of men engaged in the actions described are at best but materials of history. 
Mr. Bernard has had the advantage of professional assistance, and of a non-professional 
habit of observation. lie has been a vis'ter, without being an actor, at the theatre of 
i war ; and he has used the advantages with excellent effect. He has written a book of 
evidently good authority, which clears off a quantity of misrepresentation, and gives 
an altogether calmer and steadier view of the origin, progress, and results of our 
warlike dealings with the false and flowery people.”— Examiner. 

“ Our limits will not permit us to say more than to recommend this work to all such 
of our readers as may wish to understand the progress of this Chinese war, and to 
possess the clearest and fullest narrative of those frightful incidents which accompanied 
nearly all our victories. The writer also made a long excursion into the interior of the i 
Chinese provinces, and describes the country well. IIis notices of the imperial court 
are also at once original and picturesque.”— Messenger. 

“ This is an extremely interesting and valuable narrative. All details which might 
prove tedious are omitted. There are no lengthened disquisitions, no elaborate or ; 
minute pictures, but a constantly varying recital which, with all the satisfactoriness of 1 
truth, has the charm of fiction. If we except the old voyages of discovery, which carry i 
the mind over an unknown and mysterious ocean, where new regions are every moment 
expected to develope their features before us, we scarcely remember to have read any 
maritime relation with so much pleasure as this. The Nemesis, it is well known, acted \ 
a distinguished part in the war in China, but the details are now for the first time ; 
accessible. They will be read with a pleasure proportioned to their importance, and 
the simplicity and ability with which they are given. What we have said will, we trust, 
suffice to recommend to our readers the Voyage of the Nemesis, which we regard as, in 
every respect, one of the best works of the class to which it belongs .”—Sunday Times. 


HENRY COLBURN, PUBLISHER, 13, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET. 

Agents : for Scotland, Bell and Bradfute, Edinburgh ; for Ireland, John Camming, 

Dublin. Orders received bv all Booksellers. 


































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